Surface topography and tegumental morphology of adult digenetic trematode of Indian strain of Fasciola gigantica Cobbold

Abstract

Fasciolosis disease is caused by the most common species Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica . Surface topography and some of the important features of morphology of the Indian F. gigantica has not yet been described and therefore, the present study was elucidated about the important structural surface topography features of the F. gigantica . Adult flukes of F. gigantica are flattened and leaf-like in shape and measures approximately 5-6 cm in length, with narrowed anterior and posterior ends and are the presence of uneven surface with alternating surface folds armed with spines. At the anterior end the oral sucker occurs at its tip while the ventral sucker is present at the oral cone-main body junction, they are used to grip the lining of the bile duct of the liver of Bubalus bubalis and to assist in the movements of the fluke and the spines are absent around the suckers. The common genital opening for the male and female reproductive systems genital pore which is present just anterior to the ventral sucker. The posterior tip of the body has a prominent excretory pore first time reported with very few spines are present at the posterior end of the body and hence appear smooth.