Acanthocephalus dirus

Acanthocephalus dirus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Superphylum: Platyzoa
Phylum: Acanthocephala
Class: Palaeacanthocephala
Order: Echinorhynchida
Family: Echinorhynchidae
Genus: Acanthocephalus
Species: A. dirus
Binomial name
Acanthocephalus dirus
(Van Cleve, 1931)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Acanthocephalus jacksoni (Bullock, 1962)
  • Acanthocephalus parksidei (Amin, 1975)
  • Echinorhynchus dirus (Van Cleve, 1931)

Acanthocephalus dirus is a species of parasitic worm in the Echinorhynchidae family.[2] Instead of having its eggs expelled from the host in feces, the gravid female detaches itself from the host's digestive tract and sinks to the bottom, where her body is consumed by the species' intermediate host, Caecidotea intermedius, a species of isopod.[3][4] Upon hatching, the larvae begin to alter their host's behavior. This will manifest in lighter pigmentation and an increased attraction to predators, such as A. dirus' primary hosts.[5][6]

Hosts

A. dirus is commonly found parasitizing the following species of fish:[7]

References

Notes

  1. "Acanthocephalus dirus (Van Cleve, 1931)". GBIF.org. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Acanthocephalus dirus (Van Cleve, 1931)". ITIS. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  3. "Acanthocephalus dirus". Parsite of the Day. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  4. Wahl, G. M.; Sparkes, T. C. (August 2012). "Egg dispersal in the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus: field data.". Journal of Parasitology (American Society of Parasitologists) 98 (4): 894–896. doi:10.1645/GE-3078.1. PMID 22360588 via PubMed.
  5. Hechtel, Laura J.; Johnson, Cheryl L.; Juliano, Steven A. (April 1993). "Modification of Antipredator Behavior of Caecidotea Intermedius by Its Parasite Acanthocephalus Dirus". Ecology (Ecological Society of America) 74 (3): 710–713. doi:10.2307/1940798. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  6. Sparkes, T. C.; Wright, V. M.; Renwick, D. T.; Weil, K. A.; Talkington, J. A.; Milhalyov, M. (September 2004). "Intra-specific host sharing in the manipulative parasite Acanthocephalus dirus: does conflict occur over host modification?". Journal of Parasitology (American Society of Parasitologists) 129 (3): 335–340. doi:10.1017/S0031182004005645. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  7. McDonald, T. E.; Margolis, L. (1995). Synopsis of the Parasites of Fishes of Canada: Supplement (1978-1993). Ottawa, Ontario: National Research Council of Canada. p. 115. ISBN 0-660-15902-3. Retrieved 20 July 2014.

Further reading

External links