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Family POLYPOCEPHALIDAE Meggit, 1924


Compiler and date details

30 June 2007 - Ian Beveridge & Malcolm Jones

Introduction

This striking family with a single genus, Polypocephalus Braun, 1878, is immediately recognisable from the scolex which has four suckers and a variable number of retractile tentacles emerging from the apex. When everted, the scolex resembles a cnidarian polyp, hence both the generic and family names.

The genus is represented by a number of species in Australia, but only one has been formally described (Butler 1987). Additional ultrastructural features of metacestodes are reported by Brockerhoff & Jones (1995).

 

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)
25-Jan-2022 LECANICEPHALIDEA Wardle & McLeod, 1952 18-Sep-2018 MODIFIED Ms Jo Wood
12-Feb-2010 (import)