Bolbosoma Explained

Bolbosoma is a genus in Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms).[1]

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Porta in 1908. Phylogenetic analysis has been published on Bolbosoma species.[2]

Description

Bolbosoma species consist of a proboscis covered in hooks and a long trunk.

Species

The genus Bolbosoma contains twelve species.[3]

Found in the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus).[4]

Found in the South American fur seal, (Arctocephalus australis).[6]

Distribution

The distribution of Bolbosoma is determined by that of its hosts. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution.

Hosts

The life cycle of an acanthocephalan consists of three stages beginning when an infective acanthor (development of an egg) is released from the intestines of the definitive host and then ingested by an arthropod, the intermediate host. Although the intermediate hosts of Bolbosoma are arthropods. When the acanthor molts, the second stage called the acanthella begins. This stage involves penetrating the wall of the mesenteron or the intestine of the intermediate host and growing. The final stage is the infective cystacanth which is the larval or juvenile state of an Acanthocephalan, differing from the adult only in size and stage of sexual development. The cystacanths within the intermediate hosts are consumed by the definitive host, usually attaching to the walls of the intestines, and as adults they reproduce sexually in the intestines. The acanthor is passed in the feces of the definitive host and the cycle repeats. There may be paratenic hosts (hosts where parasites infest but do not undergo larval development or sexual reproduction) for Bolbosoma.[7]

Bolbosoma parasitizes animals. There are reported cases of Bolbosoma infesting humans.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bolbosoma Porta, 1908 . Global Biodiversity Information Facility . 11 May 2021 . en.
  2. Web site: Bolbosoma . NCBI Taxonony.
  3. Web site: ITIS - Report: Bolbosoma .
  4. Santoro M, Palomba M, Gili C, Marcer F, Marchiori E, Mattiucci S . Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus . Parasitology . 148 . 11 . 1293–1302 . September 2021 . 34100350 . 11010206 . 10.1017/S0031182021000925 .
  5. P.Q. . Wang . Notes on the Acanthocephala from Fugian. II . Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica . 5 . 2 . 116–123 . 1980 .
  6. Vivian . Itatiele Farias . Perin . Patricia Parreira . Amorim . Derek Blaese de . Benatti . Danise . Tebaldi . José Hairton . Hoppe . Estevam Guilherme Lux . Helminths of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) from the Subtropical Convergence Zone of the Southwestern Atlantic . Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária . 2023 . 32 . 1 . e014522 . 10.1590/S1984-29612023012 . 36820736 . free .
  7. Book: Schmidt . Gerald D. . Development and life cycles . 273–305 . https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/694/ . Crompton . D. W. T. . Nickol . Brent B. . Biology of the Acanthocephala . 1985 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-24674-3 .
  8. Arizono . Naoki . Kuramochi . Toshiaki . Kagei . Noboru . Molecular and histological identification of the acanthocephalan Bolbosoma cf. capitatum from the human small intestine . Parasitology International . December 2012 . 61 . 4 . 715–718 . 10.1016/j.parint.2012.05.011 . 22634485 .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bolbosoma".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.