Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Museums

Regional Maps

Family GILQUINIIDAE Dollfus, 1942

Introduction

The Gilquiniidae are characterised by the possession of four bothridia, a typical heteroacanthous tentacular armature, and in the proglottis an accessory seminal vesicle and a porally deviated uterus (Campbell & Beveridge 1994). In one remarkable genus, Aporhynchus, the rhyncheal or tentacular system is entirely absent, but the features of the proglottis allow allocation to the family. This genus has been placed in an independent family, Aporhynchidae by Palm,(2004). As the relationships between these potential families are uncertain, the Aporhynchidae is here considered within the Gilquiniidae.

The family occurs in dog sharks (Squalidae) as well as in deep sea sharks of the families Dalatiidae, Centrophoridae and Scyliorhinidae. No life cycles are known, but the plerocercus of Gilquinia squali occurs commonly in the eyes of the teleost Merlangius merlangius in Europe (Mackenzie 1975).

The family was reviewed by Beveridge (1990); four genera and seven species are currently recognised for the fauna.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
06-Feb-2014 CESTODA 30-Jan-2014 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)