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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2009
The metacercaria shown in Fig. 1 was obtained in the laboratory from Gobies (Gobius ruthensparri Euphras.) experimentally infected with a Pleurolophocerca cercaria from Peringia ulvae. This cercaria is regarded as the most interesting of all the Heterophyid larvae infecting this snail. It has been referred to briefly in a previous publication (Rothschild, 1938). It differs from typical Opisthorchid cercariae in the following characteristics:
(1) The lateral fin-folds are continuous and extend the whole length of the tail. The dorso-ventral fin-fold is reduced.
(2) The oesophagus and intestinal caeca (in addition to the pharynx) can be clearly made out.
(3) The cuticle is more heavily spined.
(4) The ventral sucker is better developed.
(5) The penetration gland ducts (fourteen in number) are not arranged in such definite bundles.
(6) Three acicular boring spines are present in the oral sucker.
In other respects the cercaria possesses the usual characters of the group.
