Opechona pyriforme metacercaria (Trematoda: Lepocreadiidae) in Eirene lactaea (Cnidaria: Hydroidomedusae) from a reef lagoon in the Mexican Caribbean Sea

Abstract

METACERCARIA LARVAE OF OPECHONA PYRIFORME (LINTON 1900) PARA SITAZING EIRENE LACTEA (MAYER 1900) WERE OBSERVED FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER 1991 WHILE STUDYING THE MEDUSAN FAUNA IN THE REEF LAGOON OF PUERTO MORELOS, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO. PARASITES WERE FOUND IN THE GASTRIC PEDUNCLE AND THE INTER-RADIAL ZONE OF THE HOSTS, WITH A PREVALENCE OF 0.39% AND AN INFECTION INTENSITY OF 1.5. SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY REVEALED SPINES IN THE INTERNAL BODER OF BOTH SUCKERS AND CILIATED SENSORIAL PAPILLAE AROUND AND BETWEEN THEM. THE ORAL SUCKER PRESENTED ALSO 10 PAILLAE IN CIRCULAR ARRANGEMENT. THIS IS THE FIRST RECORD OF E. LACTEA AS AN INTERMEDIARY HOST OF O. PYRIFORME, AND EXTENDS THE KNOWN DISTRIBUTION RANGE OF THIS PARA SITE TO THE MEXICAN CARIBBEAN SEA.