Life Cycle: “The egg is released by a gravid adult and settles to the bottom of a pond where it develops until an immature adult emerges. Dactylogyrus attaches to the fish and makes its way to the gills” (Olson, 1974).
Description:
Body elongated; head organs well-defined. Haptor with one pair of conspicuous dorsal anchors associated with dorsal
transverse bar; ventral anchors and bar vestigial; 14 marginal hooks of similar shape, but varying in size; extra pair of hooks sometimes visible with phase microscopy. Cirrus tubular, variable in shape (straight, curved, coiled, or whiplike); accessory piece variable. Vagina present, ventral, usually on right side of body. Vitellaria coextensive with intestine and extending laterally to body margin. On gills of freshwater fishes, primarily Cypriniformes.
Sources: Hoffman, G.L. and Williams Jr., E.H. 1999. Parasites of North American Freshwater Fishes. Second Edition, p. 124.
Olson, O.W. 1974. Animal Parasites, Their Life Cycles and Ecology. Dover. New York.
