Morphological variability of acanthocephalans of the genus Neoechinorhynchus (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) , parasites from the Arctic Sea Province of the USSR
Skryabina, E.S.
Parazitologiya 12(6): 512-522
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-1847
Accession: 000701582
The morphological variations found in Neoechinorhynchus species (602 specimens) collected from 10 fish species in the waters of the Arctic Ocean Province of USSR are described. Statistical analysis of 17 and 13 morphometric features, used in identification of, respectively, males and females, have shown them to be subject to wide variations. The most constant features were the size of the proboscis and the structure and size of hooks; using these features, only N. rutili and N. crassus were sufficiently differentiated and N. tumidus could not be differentiated from N. crassus. The intraspecies morphological variations were related to the geographic distribution of the hosts but were not host dependant.