First report of Metacestodes of Cyclustera ralli (Underwood and Dronen, 1986) (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from the fish intermediate host Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus, 1766) (Cyprinodontiformes: Fundulidae) from Virginia, U.S.A.

摘要

Metacestodes of the tapeworm Cyclustera ralli (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) are reported from the mesenteries and liver of the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, from Virginia, U.S.A. They are reported from fish intermediate hosts for the first time and represent the first record of the parasite since its original description from the intestine of the clapper rail, Rallus longirostris, from marshes in Texas, U.S.A. Morphology of the larvae is briefly described and compared with that of metacestodes from the mesenteries of cyprinid and goodeid fishes from central Mexico, tentatively identified as Cyclustera cf. ralli by Scholz and Salgado-Maldonado (2001). The latter metacestodes differ in the morphology of rostellar hooks and most probably belong to a hitherto undescribed species of Cyclustera. In addition to C. ralli, metacestodes of Glossocercits caribaensis were found in the mesenteries of the same fish host, F. heteroclitus, from Virginia.