Question

Describe a general life cycle of an aquatic acanthocephalan…how does it differ from that of a trematode?

Answer 1

Answer:

• Acanthocephalans are obligate intestinal parasites of vertebrates.
• Their length is around 20cm and males are usually shorter than females
• Acanthocephalans do no have any digestive tract.
• Adult acanthocephalans attach to their host's intestinal wall with their retractable proboscis hooks
• Intermediate hosts for acanthocephalans with terrestrial life cycles include insects. Acanthocephalan species vary in their degree of host specificity.

Trematode:

• Trematode are leaf shaped parasites and are unsegmented. These are generally called as flukes.
• Adult trematodes have oral sucker (acetabulum) and are 1mm to more than 10cm in size
• Most trematodes are hermaphroditic
• Their first intermediate hosts are snails.