Galactosomum | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
Class: | Trematoda |
Order: | Plagiorchiida |
Family: | Heterophyidae |
Genus: |
Galactosomum Looss, 1899 |
Galactosomum is a genus of flukes in the family Heterophyidae. There are currently 28 recognised species within the genus. They mainly infect aquatic birds, but often infest fish as larvae. [1] Three species are known to use marine mammals as hosts.
The excised spherical metacercaria is 2.7–4.9 mm long. [2] Generally, only one is found per fish. [3]
Some species of Galactosomum cause infected fish to swim closer to the surface and colorfully flash their underbellies. [4] In fish, symptoms can be similar to those of whirling disease caused by the unrelated parasite Myxobolus cerebralis. [3] Gastropods hosting select species suffer from sensory impairment due to infestation. This makes these prey animals more likely to be consumed by aquatic birds, providing a host for the parasite to reach the mature stage of its life cycle. Galactosomum cannot survive in human hosts. [4]
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