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Phylogeny of Amphilinidea (single family Amphilinidae) (according to Bandoni and Brooks, 1987).
See section on synonyms for alternative nomenclature.

Containing group: Cestodaria

Introduction

Only 8 amphilinid species are known. The amphilinids are large worms (several cm long) which, in contrast to the true tapeworms (Eucestoda), have a flattened leaf-like body that is not divided into proglottids (false "segments"). Larvae have 10 peculiarly shaped hooks of several types at the posterior end, which are retained by the adult. They are parasites in the body cavity of freshwater and marine teleost fishes and freshwater turtles (Dubinina, 1982). They have little economic significance, although one species was shown to affect sturgeon, the producers of caviar, adversely. Amphilinids are of considerable interest to biologists, because they may cast light on the phylogeny of tapeworms and of related forms. Most studies deal with the taxonomy as well as the light- and electron microscopic structure of a few species. Life cycles are known only for a few species and little is known of their effects on the host.

A key to the species of Amphilinidea is available here.

Characteristics

The Amphilinidea are large (several cm long), hermaphroditic, non-”segmented” flatworms whose adult stages live in the body cavity of turtles and teleost fish and use crustaceans as intermediate hosts. More detail is available on the Life cycles page. They have 10 hooks of several types at the posterior end (Fig.1), and a posteriorly located large seminal receptacle and ovary.

Figure 1. Hooks of larval Amphilina foliacea. a. Arrangement of hooks in the larva, b. Shape of hooks in greater detail (redrawn from Dubinina, 1982).

The uterus extends from the ovary to the anterior end, back again to the posterior end, and forward to open at the anterior end. Small follicular yolk glands and testes are scattered over large parts of the body. Amphilinids lack an intestine (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Juvenile Amphilina foliacea. Note uterine opening at anterior end, and vaginal and male pores at posterior end (redrawn from Dubinina, 1982).

For more information see Structure of the larva and Structure of the juvenile and adult pages.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Bandoni and Brooks (1987) have revised the Amphilinidea and made the first and only analysis of the group using phylogenetic systematics (cladistics). The analysis of 46 character states of 30 morphological (light-microscopic) characters produced the tree illustrated above. They distinguish three genera with altogether eight species, mainly based on the shape of the uterus (N-shaped or looped), shape of the body (elliptical, fusiform or elongate), whether vagina crossing or not crossing male duct, distribution of the testes and whether testes paired or not paired, whether vagina simple or bifurcate, shape of ovary, whether gonopore separate or common. Important characters, such as the structure of the protonephridial system, are not included, and the tree will almost certainly have to be revised using additional characters.

Gibson (1994) has given a key to the species (see also Schmidt, 1986), and Dubinina (1982), in her detailed monograph of the Amphilinidea, has discussed the position of the group in the phylum Platyhelminthes.

Synonyms

The genus and species names listed first are those from Dubinina (1982). They are used in the text, because they are supported by the best descriptions and widely used in the literature. The names proposed by Bandoni and Brooks (1987), which are used in the tree, are here marked with an asterisk.

Amphilina foliacea*

synonyms Monostomum foliaceum, Amphilina neritina

Amphilina japonica*

synonyms A. bipunctata, A. foliacea

Gephyrolina paragonopora

synonyms Amphilina paragonopora, Hunteroides mystel, Schizochoerus paragonopora*

Schizochoerus liguloideus*

synonyms Monostomum liguloideum, Amphilina liguloidea

Nesolecithus janickii

synonyms Amphilina liguloidea, Monostomum liguloideum, Schizochoerus janickii*

Nesolecithus africanus

synonym Schizochoerus africanus*

Austramphilina elongata

synonyms Kosterina Kuiperi, Gigantolina elongata*

Gigantolina magna*

synonyms Amphilina magna, Gyrometra albotaenia, Gyrometra kunduchi

Other Names for Amphilinidea

• amphilinids
• Amphilinidae

References

Key References

For older references see Dubinina 1982.

Dubinina, M.N. (1982). Parasitic worms of the class Amphilinida (Platyhelminthes). "Nauka", Leningrad (in Russian). (Older references therein).

Gibson, D.I. (1994). Order Amphilinidea Poche 1922. In "Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates" (L.F.Khalil, A.Jones and R.A. Bray, eds) CAB International. Wallingford, pp. 3-10.

Rohde, K. (1994). The minor groups of parasitic Platyhelminthes. Advances in Parasitology 33, 145- 234.

Other References

Andreev, V. V. and Markov, G. S. (1971). [Influence of some helminths on sturgeons]. Zoologicheskij Zhurnal 50, 15-24 (In Russian).

Bandoni, S. M. and Brooks, D. R. (1987). Revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Amphilinidea Poche, 1922 (Platyhelminthes: Cercomeria: Cercomeromorpha). Canadian Journal of Zoology 65, 1110-1128.

Baverstock, P. R., Fielke, R., Johnson, A. M., Bray, R. A. and Beveridge, I. (1991). Conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses for the parasitic Platyhelminthes tested by partial sequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA. International Journal for Parasitology 21, 329-339.

Bazitov, A. A. (1984). [Taxonomic relations of parasitic Platyhelminthes]. Zoologicheskij Zhurnal 63, 818-827 (In Russian).

Bazitov, A. A. and Lyapkalo, E. V. (1980). [Embryonic development of Amphilina japonica (Amphilinidea). I. Structure of the zygote and cleavage]. Zoologicheskij Zhurnal 59, 645-655 (In Russian).

Bazitov, A. A. and Lyapkalo, E. V. (1984). [Structure of the body wall and parenchyma of Amphilinida]. Zoologicheskij Zhurnal 63, 338-347 (In Russian).

Bazitov, A., Lyapkalo, A. and Yukhimenko (1979). [Spermatogenesis of Amphilina japonica (Goto et Ishii, 1936) (Amphilinidea)]. Vestnik Zoologi (Kiew) 1, 50-55 (In Russian).

Biserova, N.M., Dudicheva, V.A., Terenina, N.B., et al. (2000). The nervous system of Amphilina foliacea (Platyhelminthes, Amphilinidea). An immunocytochemical, ultrastructural and spectrofluorometrical study Parasitology 121, 441-453.

Brooks, D. R. (1982). Higher level classification of parasitic platyhelminths and fundamentals of cestode classification. In "Parasites: their world and ours", (D. F. Mettrick and S. S. Desser, eds). Elsevier Biomedical Press, pp. 189-193.

Brooks, D. R. (1989a). A summary of the database pertaining to the phylogeny of the major groups of parasitic platyhelminths, with a revised classification. Canadian Journal of Zoology 67, 714-720.

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Cole, N. C. (1968). Morphological studies on Cestodaria. M.A. thesis, University of California, Berkeley (cit. Simmons and Laurie, 1972).

Dubinina, M. N. (1976). [Platyhelminths of the class Amphilinoidea]. In "Problemy zoologii (Zool. Inst. A.N. SSSR)". Izdatel'stvo "Nauka", Leningrad, pp. 34-37 (In Russian).

Dubinina, M. N. (1978). Flatworms of the Amphilinida class (substantiation and system). 4th International Congress of Parasitology, Warsaw, Poland, Short Communications, Section B, 29-30.

Dubinina, M. N. (1982). "[Parasitic worms of the class Amphilinida (Plathelminthes)]". "Nauka", Leningrad (In Russian).(Older references therein).

Dubinina, M. N. (1985). [Class Amphilinidea]. In "Opredelitel' Parazitov Presnovodnykh Ryb Fauny SSSR", vol. 2 Paraziticheskie Mnogokletochnye (part 2), (O. N. Bauer, ed.). Nauka, Leningrad, pp. 388-394 (In Russian).

Dudicheva, V.A.and Biserova, N.M. (2000). [Distribution of sensory organs on surface of adult Amphilina foliacea (Plathelminthes, Amphilinida).] Zoologizheskij Journal 79, 1139-1146 (in Russian).

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Ehlers, U. (1986). Comments on a phylogenetic system of the Platyhelminthes. Hydrobiologia 132, 1-12.

Gibson, D.I. (1994). Order Amphilinidea Poche 1922. In "Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates" (L.F.Khalil, A.Jones and R.A. Bray, eds) CAB International. Wallingford, pp. 3-10.

Gibson, D. I., Bray, R. A. and Powell, C. B. (1987). Aspects of the life history and origins of Nesolecithus africanus (Cestoda: Amphilinidea). Journal of Natural History 21, 785-794.

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Rohde, K. (1988). Phylogenetic relationship of free-living and parasitic Platyhelminthes on the basis of ultrastructural evidence. Fortschritte der Zoologie 36, 353-357.

Rohde, K. (1990b). Phylogeny of Platyhelminthes, with special reference to parasitic groups. International Journal for Parasitology 20, 979-1007.

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Rohde, K. (2005). Amphilinidea. In: K.Rohde (ed.). Marine Parasitology. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne and CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon, 87-89, 461.

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Xylander, W. E. R. (1988). Ultrastructural studies on the reproductive system of Gyrocotylidea and Amphilinidea (Cestoda). I. Vitellarium, vitellocyte development and vitelloduct in Amphilina foliacea (Rudolphi, 1819). Parasitology Research 74, 363-370.

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Information on the Internet

• The Amphilinidea, a small group of aberrant tapeworms. Klaus Rohde
• Die Amphilinidea, eine kleine Gruppe aberranter Bandwürmer. Klaus Rohde