VPA 211: General Veterinary Parasitology and Helminthology (3+1)

MORPHOLOGY OF GANATHOSTOMA SPINIGERUM

Genus	Ganathostoma
Species	G. spinigerum
Host	Cat, dog, and erratic parasite of man
I/H	Ist- Cyclops (copepod) and IInd Fresh water fish
Location	Stomach

Morphology

• The mouth is surrounded by two large lips and are trilobed. The cuticle forms tooth like ridges on the medial surface of lips (interlocked).
• They have large head bulb consists of four submedian cavity or "ballonet" contains fluid.
• The head bulb is armed with 6 to 11 rows of transverse spines.
• Anterior 2/3 of the body also armed with large flat cuticular spine which is denticulate at the posterior margin.
• In male, the caudal and ventral surface is covered with small spine and armed with 4 pairs of pedunculated and several papillae
• Eggs are oval, thick shelled, greenish ornamented and have small cap at the anterior pole.
• Egg contains one cell or morula stage.