Acanthocephalus (acanthocephalan) explained

Acanthocephalus is a genus of parasitic worms. One of the species in this genus is Acanthocephalus anguillae (Mueller, 1780), a fish parasite. Acanthocephalans are also found in humans and primates, causing a common zoonotic infection called "human acanthocephaliasis". While pathogens can be transferred among animals and humans, the main source of human acanthocephaliasis is the diet of infected raw fish and insects (Lotfy, 2020). Because they are lacking circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems, Acanthocephalus are exceptionally well-adapted to a symbiotrophic existence (Margulis & Chapman, 2009).

Life Cycle

There are 5 steps in which Acanthocephala cycles through life; (1)Their eggs shed in feces. (2)These eggs are then ingested by their host. (3)The definitive host then gets infected due to ingesting the eggs from the first host. (4)The definitive host is either rats or raccoons and therefore, in this step the Acanthocephala matures in the small intestine. (5)Lastly, the Acanthocephala matures and also produces eggs inside the definitive host (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).

Species

Contains the following species:

An intestinal parasite, it is found both in the Baltic Sea and along the coast of California, where it is often found in the fore- and mid-gut of the Brown and Rainbow trouts.[1] [2] [3]

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.[5] [6] 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.[7] [8]

Found both in California and in Thailand, it has been known to parasitize the sockeye salmon, chum salmon, rainbow trout, and barramundi.[9] [10]

It is native to Europe.[11]

References

Notes and References

  1. Dezfuli . Bahram S. . Biaggi . Sara De . May 2000 . Copulation of Acanthocephalus anguillae (Acanthocephala) . Parasitology Research . 86 . 6 . 524–526 . 10.1007/s004360050706. 10894483 . 21803021 .
  2. Love . Milton S. . Moser . Mike . June 1976 . Parasites of California Marine and Estuarine Fish . . 370 . 11 July 2014 .
  3. Web site: Acanthocephalus anguillae (Müller, 1780) . Gibson, David . 21 December 2004 . . 11 July 2014 .
  4. Barton. D.P.. Pichelin. S.. Acanthocephalus bufonis (Acanthocephala) from Bufo marinus (Bufonidae: Amphibia) in Hawaii. Parasite. 6. 3. 2014. 269–272. 10.1051/parasite/1999063269. free.
  5. Web site: Acanthocephalus dirus . 16 February 2012 . Parasite of the Day . 20 July 2014 .
  6. Wahl . G. M. . Sparkes . T. C. . August 2012 . Egg dispersal in the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus: field data. . . . 98 . 4 . 894–896 . 10.1645/GE-3078.1 . 22360588. 30511854 .
  7. Hechtel . Laura J. . Johnson . Cheryl L. . Juliano . Steven A. . April 1993 . Modification of Antipredator Behavior of Caecidotea Intermedius by Its Parasite Acanthocephalus Dirus . . . 74 . 3 . 710–713 . 10.2307/1940798. 1940798 . 20 July 2014.
  8. 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? . . . 129 . 3 . 335–340 . 10.1017/S0031182004005645 . 15471008 . 21052338 . 20 July 2014.
  9. Web site: Summary on Diseases of Marine Fishes Cultured in Thailand . Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute, Kasetsart University . Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific . 11 July 2014 .
  10. Love . Milton S. . Moser . Mike . June 1976 . Parasites of California Marine and Estuarine Fish . . 370 . 11 July 2014 .
  11. Web site: Acanthocephalus lucii . www.sealifebase.ca . 25 January 2021.
  12. Amin. Omar Mohamed. Heckmann. Richard Anderson. Ha. Nguyen Van. Acanthocephalans from fishes and amphibians in Vietnam, with descriptions of five new species. Parasite. 21. 2014. 53. 10.1051/parasite/2014052. 4204126. 25331738.
  13. Smales. L.R.. Sasal. P.. Taraschewski. H.. Acanthocephalus reunionensis n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae), a parasite of Anguilla species (Anguillidae) from Reunion Island. Parasite. 14. 2. 2007. 131–134. 1252-607X. 10.1051/parasite/2007142131. free.

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