Maritrema Subdolum Research Articles

The glands of trematode cercariae of the family microphallidae travassos, 1920

The ultrastructure of the glands of microphallid cercariae is described. The fully-formed cercariae possess only penetration glands opening onto the surface of the tegument. Cercarial embryos have tegumental glands transferring their secretion in the tegument. In all studied species two anterior pairs of penetration glands produce identical granules while two posterior pairs produce heterogeneous granules of various shapes and sizes. Tegument cells are divided into mucoid and two other types of tegument glands (TG1 and TG2). The mucoid glands of Microphallinae cercariae produce large fibrous granules, while those of Maritrematinae cercariae produce osmiophil ones. TG1 cells of Maritrema subdolum produce large rod-shaped granules and TG1 cells of Levinseniella brachysoma, Microphallus sp. and M. claviformis produce two types of osmiophil granules. TG2 produce small rod-shaped granules. The association of gland ultrastructure with their function and features of the microphallid life-history are discussed.

Microphallid trematodes in the amphipodGammarus subtypicusStock, 1966 from a Black Sea lagoon

Microphallid metacercariae were found encysted in large numbers in Gammarus subtypicus (Amphipoda) collected from the Pomorie Lagoon on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The prevalence and abundance figures are given. Adults were obtained after in vitro or in vivo incubation. Four species of trematodes were identified: Maritrema subdolum Jagerskiold, 1909; Levinseniella propinqua Jagerskiold, 1907; Microphallus hoffmanni Rebecq, 1974 and M. papillorobustus (Rankin, 1940). The metacercarial cysts, excysted metacercariae and adults of the four species are described and figured.

Essai de détermination par la chétotaxie du genre d’une cercaire de Microphallidae, parasite de Cerithium mediterraneum Deshayes

Chetotaxy of a cercaria parasite of Cerithium meditteraneum is studied. Sensory receptors C III, St V, St DL, AID, PI and U, are similar to those of Maritrema linguilla and Maritrema subdolum. However in the three cercariae, the ventral, dorsal and lateral papillae, except AID and PI (V, L, D) are different. The chetotaxy of this cercariae shows that they belong to the genus Maritrema. Investigations of the biological cycle are under way to verifie this hypothesis.