Family POLYPOCEPHALIDAE Meggit, 1924
Compiler and date details
30 June 2007 - Ian Beveridge & Malcolm Jones
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Jensen, K., Caira, J.N., Cielocha, J.J., Littlewood, D.T.J. & Waeschenbach, A. 2016. When proglottids and scoleces conflict: phylogenetic relationships and a family-level classification of the Lecanicephalidea (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda). International Journal for Parasitology 46: 291-310 [303]
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).
General References
Brockerhoff, A. & Jones, M.K. 1995. Ultrastructure of the scolex and tentacles of the metacestode of Polypocephalus species (Lecanicephalidae) from the blue-swimmer crab Portunus pelagicus. International Journal for Parasitology 25: 1077-1088
Butler, S.A. 1987. Taxonomy of some tetraphyllidean cestodes from elasmobranch fishes. Australian Journal of Zoology 35: 343-371
History of changes
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) |