Gracilisentis is a genus in Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms).
| Gracilisentis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Acanthocephala |
| Class: | Eoacanthocephala |
| Order: | Neoechinorhynchida |
| Family: | Neoechinorhynchidae |
| Genus: | Gracilisentis Van Cleave, 1919 |
| Species | |
Taxonomy edit
The genus was described by Van Cleave, 1919.
Description edit
Gracilisentis species consist of a proboscis covered in hooks and a long trunk.
Species edit
The genus Gracilisentis Van Cleave, 1919 contains four species.[a]
- Gracilisentis gracilisentis (Van Cleave, 1913)
- Gracilisentis mugilis Gupta and Lata, 1967
- Gracilisentis sharmai (Gupta and Lata, 1967)
- Gracilisentis variabilis (Diesing, 1856)
Distribution edit
The distribution of Gracilisentis is determined by that of its hosts.
Hosts edit
The life cycle of an acanthocephalan consists of three stages beginning when an infective acanthor (development of an egg) is released from the intestines of the definitive host and then ingested by an arthropod, the intermediate host. Although the intermediate hosts of Gracilisentis are ???. When the acanthor molts, the second stage called the acanthella begins. This stage involves penetrating the wall of the mesenteron or the intestine of the intermediate host and growing. The final stage is the infective cystacanth which is the larval or juvenile state of an Acanthocephalan, differing from the adult only in size and stage of sexual development. The cystacanths within the intermediate hosts are consumed by the definitive host, usually attaching to the walls of the intestines, and as adults they reproduce sexually in the intestines. The acanthor is passed in the feces of the definitive host and the cycle repeats. There may be paratenic hosts (hosts where parasites infest but do not undergo larval development or sexual reproduction) for Gracilisentis.[3]
Gracilisentis parasitizes animals. There are no reported cases of Gracilisentis infesting humans in the English language medical literature.[2]
Notes edit
- ^ A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than the present genus.
- ^ There are no known aberrant human infections for Gracilisentis species.[2]
References edit
- ^ CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (11 April 2019). "Acanthocephaliasis". www.cdc.gov. Center for Disease Control. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ a b Mathison, BA; et al. (2021). "Human Acanthocephaliasis: a Thorn in the Side of Parasite Diagnostics". J Clin Microbiol. 59 (11): e02691-20. doi:10.1128/JCM.02691-20. PMC 8525584. PMID 34076470.
- ^ Schmidt, G.D. (1985). "Development and life cycles". In Crompton, D.W.T.; Nickol, B.B. (eds.). Biology of the Acanthocephala (PDF). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 273–305. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.