Description: The scolices of six different trypanorhynch species--Heteronybelinia alloiotica (Dollfus, 1960), Pseudolacistorhynchus noodti Palm, 1995, Otobothrium cysticum (Mayer, 1842), O. penetrans Linton, 1907, Poecilancistrum caryophyllum (Diesing, 1850), and Prochristianella hispida (Linton, 1890)--were examined for surface morphology and the occurrence of sensory receptors. Filamentous microtriches with different internal ultrastructural features were found. Acerosate, hook-like, and spiniform microtriches were detected on the surface of the tentaculariid H. alloiotica. Their internal structure clearly differed from that of pectinate microtriches observed in the other five trypanorhynch species lacking a basal and a junctional region. All pectinate microtriches had the same general architecture, independent of the number of digitiform processes. All trypanorhynchs studied harbored ciliated sensory receptors within the tegument. Even though sensory receptors were scarce in H. alloiotica, they were more abundant in the lacistorhynchid P. noodti and the otobothriids P. caryophyllum and O. penetrans, which exhibited two, six, and three kinds of receptors, respectively. Bothridial pits in O. penetrans and O. cysticum were invaginations of the bothridial surface, being characterized by the lack of sensory receptors and the presence of characteristic microtriches. These differed from other microtriches in that they were larger and had a base consisting of a widely enlarged matrix. The occurrence of different kinds of microtriches and sensory receptors within trypanorhynch cestodes is summarized, and the meaning of these surface structures and of bothridial pits as characters within future trypanorhynch classification is emphasized.

Description: On the basis of the tentacular armature, surface ultrastructure, and morphological measurements of plerocerci obtained from the musculature of butterfishes (Stromateidae), we corroborate an earlier proposal that Otobothrium crenacolle, a commonly reported trypanorhynch cestode from the northwestern Atlantic coast, is a junior synonym of O. cysticum. This action exemplifies at least an Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean distribution for O. cysticum. The infection in commercially important butterfishes shows that an otobothriid trypanorhynch may heavily infect fish flesh and influence the market value of some fish species yet also be restricted to the body cavity of other fish intermediate hosts. Infections of O. cysticum in the flesh of Peprilus burti (Gulf butterfish) and P. alepidotus (harvestfish) in the Gulf of Mexico has varied annually since 1970, with samples ranging in prevalence between 20% and 100% and in mean intensity between 1 and 3,500 or more plerocerci per fish. Comparative infections in P. burti from the Gulf of Mexico and P. triacanthus (butterfish) from the Atlantic Ocean demonstrate a present geographic difference in infections. The prevalence and mean intensity in 4 collections of butterfishes ranged from 9% to 98% of the fish and from 1 to 678 plerocerci in a subsample of tissue, respectively, with prevalent and heavy infections being observed in the Gulf of Mexico fish and relatively few individuals being infected with few worms in the Atlantic fish. A slight host response in the butterfishes involving some fatty infiltration and inflammatory infiltration was associated with the metacestode. In some larger fish, encapsulations were yellow, and in a few cases, worms had degenerated. This finding and an increase in intensity with fish weight suggest a continual accumulation of the worms in association with little host resistance.

Description: Copepoda (Calanus finmarchicus n=1,722, Paraeuchaeta norvegica n=1,955), Hyperiidae (n=3,019), Euphausiacea (Meganyctiphanes norvegica n=4,780), and the fishes Maurolicus muelleri (n=500) and Pollachius virens (n=33) were collected in the Norwegian Deep (northern North Sea) during summer 2001 to examine the importance of pelagic invertebrates and vertebrates as hosts of Anisakis simplex and their roles in the transfer of this nematode to its final hosts (Cetaceans). Third stage larvae (L3) of A. simplex were found in P. norvegica, M. muelleri and P. virens. The prevalence of A. simplex in dissected P. norvegica was 0.26%, with an intensity of 1. Prevalences in M. muelleri and P. virens were 49.6% and 100.0%, with mean intensities of 1.1–2.6 (total fish length ≥6.0–7.2) and 193.6, respectively. All specimens of C. finmarchicus and M. norvegica examined were free of anisakid nematode species and no other parasites were detected. P. norvegica, which harboured the third stage larvae, is the obligatory first intermediate host of A. simplex in the investigated area. Though there was no apparent development of larvae in M. muelleri, this fish can be considered as the obligatory second intermediate host of A. simplex in the Norwegian Deep. However, it is unlikely that the larva from P. norvegica can be successfully transmitted into the cetacean or pinniped final hosts, where they reach the adult stage. An additional growth phase and a second intermediate host is the next phase in the life cycle. Larger predators such as P. virens serve as paratenic hosts, accumulating the already infective stage from M. muelleri. The oceanic life cycle of A. simplex in the Norwegian Deep is very different in terms of hosts and proposed life cycle patterns of A. simplex from other regions, involving only a few intermediate hosts. In contrast to earlier suggestions, euphausiids have no importance at all for the successful transmission of A. simplex in the Norwegian Deep. This demonstrates that this nematode is able to select definite host species depending on the locality, apparently having a very low level of host specificity. This could explain the wide range of different hosts that have been recorded for this species, and can be seen as the reason for the success of this parasite in reaching its marine mammal final hosts in an oceanic environment.