Study of the body surface of Haplorchis yokogawai (Katsuta, 1932) and H. taichui (Nishigori, 1924) (Trematoda:Heterophyidae)
Scholz, T.; Ditrich, O.; Tuma, M.; Giboda, M.
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 22(3): 443-448
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-1562 PMID: 1818399 Document Number: 373658
The morphology of the surface of two heterophyid flukes, Haplorchis yokogawai and H. taichui, that can infect humans eating raw fish flesh, has been studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The body surface of both species is covered with scale-like, serrated spines with the exception of areas around the oral sucker, ventrogenital opening and excretory pore. The species slightly differ by the dentation pattern of tegumental spines: H. yokogawai has finer and more numerous spine teeth (maximum tooth number 14-16) while H. taichui has more serrated spines, mostly with a lower number (up to 10-12) of somewhat more robust teeth. However, because of the variability, the shape and dentation of spines do not seem to be reliable diagnostic features enabling mutual differentiation of both species.