Notes on Cestodes in Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula (Walbaum), from the Missouri River

Abstract

In the winter of 1952 an investigation was made of reports from a fishmarket in St. Joseph, Missouri, that almost all paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, caught from nearby sections of the Missouri River had wormy flesh and were therefore commercially undesirable. Four paddlefish were purchased from this market in a period of four months and were examined for parasites. All four fish were heavily parasitized by the following cestodes: Marsipometra hastata (Linton 1897), Marsipometra parva Simer, 1930 and Marsipometra confusa Simer, 1930. It was not uncommon to find these cestodes on the outside of the fish, on the floor, and on the wrapping paper a few hours after the fish had been killed and placed in a walk-in refrigerator at 00 C. However, most individual cestodes were located in the pyloric ceca and spiral valve, a few being found in the stomach. This was in agreement with reports by Linton (1897), Simer (1930), and Beaver and Simer (1940). During evisceration an accidental cut of the intestine would result in an outward migration of the above tapeworms.