Aquatic Parasite Observatory

Cephalogonimus spp.

    • Species Name: Cephalogonimus spp.
    • Synonyms: Prosthogonimus (Pande 1932)
    • Taxonomy: Animalia, Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Plagiorchiida, Cephalogonimidae, Cephalogonimus spp.
    • Life Cycle: "The life cycle of some species of Cephalogonimus have been experimentally determined to infect Helisoma snails as a first intermediate host, amphibians as a secondary host, and amphibians as the definitive host through consumption of secondary host" (Lang, 1968; Dronen and Lang, 1974).
    • Description:
      1. Body elongate-oval, usually medium-sized (5 mm long or less); extremities usually rounded. Tegument armed; spines more numerous anteriorly than posteriorly. Circumoral spines absent. Oral sucker equal to or slightly larger or smaller than ventral sucker. Ventral sucker in anterior half of body… Intestinal bifurcation far anterior to ventral sucker… Ovary entire, rounded or oval, submedian and usually obliquely anterior to anterior testis, posterolateral or occasionally almost lateral to ventral sucker... Excretory vesicle Y-shaped with additional lateral branches (rarely reported as vesicular); pore terminal or subterminal.
    • Sources: Bray, R.A., Gibson D.I., and Jones, A. 2008. Keys to the Trematoda, Volume 3. p. 335.
    • Lang, B.Z. 1968. The Life Cycle of Cephalogonimus americanus Stafford, 1902 (Trematoda: Cephalogonimidae). The Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 54, No. 5, p. 945-949.

      Dronen Jr., N.O. and Lang, B.Z. 1974. The Life Cycle of Cephalogonimus salamandrus sp. n. (Digenea: Cephalogonimidae) from Ambystoma tigrinum (Green) from Eastern Washington. The Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 60, No. 1, p. 75-79.

    • APO Parasite Records: (by Life Cycle)
      1. Host SpeciesHost Common NameSite(s) of Infection
        Rana catesbeianaAmerican bullfrogSkin, connective tissue, mesentary, muscle
        Pseudacris regillaPacific chorus frogSkin, connective tissue, muscle, esophagus, mesentary
        Anaxyrus boreasWestern toadSkin, connective tissue, mesentary, muscle
        Taricha granulosaRough-skinned newtSkin, connective tissue, mesentary, muscle
        Taricha torosaCalifornia newtSkin, connective tissue, mesentary, muscle

Parasite Images:


  • University of Colorado Boulder