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Image Credit: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (CC BY 4.0)
Watch a clip of an acanthocephalan here.
An unidentified acanthocephalan extending and retracting its spiny proboscis.
Video Credit: Fossa (YouTube Creative Commons License) ​
Chapter:
Acanthocephalans
(Spiny/Throny-headed Worms)
Synapomorphies
What makes an acanthocephalan an acanthocephalan?
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Coming Soon
Acanthocephala (formerly a phylum)​ - All parasitic. Adults are endoparasites that live in the small intestines of their definitive (final) vertebrate hosts. In an aquatic environment, intermediate hosts are usually arthropods, final hosts are usually fishes. In a terrestrial environment, paratenic hosts include lizards and amphibians, definitive hosts vary.
Reference(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Resources
Chapter: Acanthocephalans
Background Information
Total discovered species:
Distribution:
Commonly Associated Terms
Coming Soon
Evolutionary History & Adaptation
Coming Soon
Conservation and Threats
Coming Soon
Additional Resources
Coming Soon
Chapter Advisors and Contributors
John Doe
PhD Entomology
Lead Researcher at Bugtopia
James Doe
MSc Insect Pest Management
Termite Specialist
Ann Doe
MSc Aquatic Entomology
Entomologist at BugTech