Giant Kidney Worm [Phyllodistomum macrocotyle]
Description
Phyllodistomum macrocotyle, also known as the Giant Kidney Worm, is a species of trematode in the family Gorgoderidae. It is a parasite of freshwater fish, particularly cyprinids. The adult worm is large and flat, and inhabits the urinary bladder of fish. It has a complex life cycle that involves a snail as the primary host and fish as the secondary host.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Flatworms
Platyhelminthes
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Trematoda
Trematoda
|
| Order |
Digenetic Flukes
Digenea
|
| Family |
Gorgoderidae
Gorgoderidae
|
| Genus |
Phyllodistomum
Phyllodistomum
|