Schizochoerus africanus
Nesolecithus africanus
Klaus RohdeIntroduction
The species has been recorded from western Africa (Nigeria). Its final host is the freshwater fish Gymnarchus niloticus (Mormyriformes). It reaches a length of 40.5 mm and a width of 19.5 mm. Eggs lack a stalk. Juveniles have been found in the haemocoel of the freshwater prawn Desmocaris trispinosa, also in Nigeria. It appears that the parasites restrict ovarian development of the prawn (Gibson, Bray and Powell, 1987). The species resembles Nesolecithus janickii closely and since both species are distributed in parts of Africa and South America that were adjacent in the Cretacean, they may be vicariant Godwanaland relicts that have little changed over the last 100 million years (Gibson, Bray and Powell, 1987).
Characteristics
Figure 1. Nesolecithus africanus. Note accessory seminal receptacle consisting of basal narrow and distal widened part. According to Dönges and Harder (1966), redrawn from Dubinina (1982).
Figure 2. Anterior end of Nesolecithus africanus. According to Dönges and Harder (1966), redrawn from Dubinina (1982).
Figure 3. Posterior end of Nesolecithus africanus. Note accessory seminal receptacle consisting of basal narrow and distal widened part. According to Dönges and Harder (1966), redrawn from Dubinina (1982).
Figure 4. Egg and larval hooks of Nesolecithus africanus. Note lack of egg stalk. A side view, C apical view, B larval hooks (only two drawn). According to Dönges and Harder (1966), from Dubinina (1982).
References
Dubinina, M.N. (1982). Parasitic worms of the class Amphilinida (Platyhelminthes). "Nauka", Leningrad (in Russian). (Older references therein).
About This Page
Klaus Rohde
University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Klaus Rohde at
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Schizochoerus africanus. Nesolecithus africanus.
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- First online 06 December 2000
Citing this page:
Rohde, Klaus. 2000. Schizochoerus africanus. Nesolecithus africanus. Version 06 December 2000. http://tolweb.org/Schizochoerus_africanus/20419/2000.12.06 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
