We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Host-Parasite Relationships of Helminth Parasites in Leeches of the Genus Haemopis. I. Associations at the Individual Host Level.
- Authors
Riggs, Michael; Ulmer, Martin J.
- Abstract
The article presents information on a study focusing on the host-parasite relationships of helminth parasites in leeches of the genus haemopis. The alimentary canal of haemopid leeches is a straight tube composed of four functionally distinct compartments including pharynx, crop, gastrointestinal ceca, and rectum. The histology of the intestinal ceca is similar to that of the small intestine of ictalurid fishes. Haemopid leeches have a diffuse system of exopeptidase gland cells in their intestinal walls and have a pancreas. The study concludes that the enteric trematodes of haemopid leeches are not neotenic species that originally matured in vertebrate definitive hosts. The intestinal organization of catfishes and haemopid leeches represents a case of convergent evolution.
- Subjects
HELMINTH hosts; HOST-parasite relationships; LEECHES; HAEMOPIS; ALIMENTARY canal; ANATOMY; VERTEBRATES; SPECIES; HISTOLOGY
- Publication
BioScience, 1983, Vol 33, Issue 10, p653
- ISSN
0006-3568
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/1309496