Aquatic Parasite Observatory

Desportesius invaginatus (Linstow, 1901)

    • Species Name: Desportesius invaginatus (Linstow, 1901)
    • Synonyms: Dispharagus invaginatus (Linstow, 1901); Acuaria (Synhimantus) invaginatus (Linstow, Raillet et al., 1912); Dispharagus egrettae (Rudolphi, 1819); Synhimantus (Desportesius) equispiculata spinulatus (Chabaud and Campana, 1949); Desportesius spinulatus (Chabaud and Compana, 1950); Desportesuis morneti (Gretillat and Morel, 1961); Synhimantus cramae (Sharma, 1973); Synhimantus nigeri (Gupta and Kazim, 1978); Synhimantus ibisi (Naidu, 1981)
    • Taxonomy: (Linstow, 1901) Animalia, Nematoda, Secernentea, Spirurida, Acuarioidae, Desportesius invaginatus
    • Life Cycle: Indirect life cycle where adults are found under the gizzard lining of birds and L1, L2, and infective L3 larvae develop in the haemocoel of ostracods. Infective Larvae consumed by tadpoles and cyprinids forms cysts inside of this host. Transmission to the bird host occurs when birds eat infected tadpoles (Anderson, 2000).
    • Description:
      1. Cordons crescent-shaped in cross section with serrated edges, invaginated at one side forming groove. Deirids large and tricuspid. Male: Caudal alae supporting four pairs of preanal and five pairs of postanal pedunculate papillae. Left spicule filiform with sightly twisted and pointed distal end. Right spicule robust, usually with transversely striated cuticle at proximal half and short attenuated distal end. Tail short with rounded tip. Female: Vagina surrounded by prominent muscle fibers. Tail short with rounded tip.
    • Sources: Wong, P.L. and Anderson, R.C. 1986. Revision of the genus Desportesius Chabaud and Campana, 1949 (Nematoda: Acuarioidea) mainly from the gizzard of ciconiiform birds. Can. J. Zool. Vol. 64, p. 2520-2530.
      Anderson, R.C. 2000. Nematode parasites of vertebrates: their development and transmission. 2nd edition, p. 558.
    • APO Parasite Records: (by Life Cycle)

Parasite Images:

  • University of Colorado Boulder