The cercaria of Galactosomum bearupi Pearson, 1973 (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) at Heron and Masthead Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

摘要

Magnacercous cercariae, all morphologically identical but with different coloured tails, were found naturally infecting the intertidal prosobranch gastropod Clypeomorus batillariaeformis at Heron and Masthead Islands, Queensland, Australia. Severalspecies of coral-dwelling fishes were exposed to magnacercous cercariae. Active ingestion by the fish, followed by the complete development of the metacercaria in the optic lobes, occurred in Pomacentrus molluccensis, but not in Dascyllus aruanus, wheredevelopment stopped short after encystment. All cercariae turned out to belong to the same species, Galactosomum bearupi. Natural infections of G. bearupi metacercariae were found in 8 species of fish at Heron Island: Pomacentrus molluccensis, P. wardi,P. bankanensis, P. flavicauda, Stegastes cf. fasciolatus, Sillago maculata, S. cf. ciliata and Crenimugil crenilabris. This represents the 4th account of the cercaria of a species of Galactosomum.