A new blood fluke from an Indian tortoise, Trionyx gangeticus

Abstract

The hermaphroditic Trematodes from the blood vessels of the turtles are included under the Family Spirorcbidae and represent several genera differing from each other in several features, including the general topography of the genital organs. It originally contained only two genera-Spirorchis and Hapalotrema, differing from each other in the number of suckers, the relative position of the genital glands and the number of testes. Owing to these unique differences between them they were referred by Stunkard (1921) to two subfamilies-Spirorchinae and Hapalotreminae. The work prior to 1923 is summed up by Stunkard (1923) in a brilliant memoir, where, besides describing two new genera, one under each of the two subfamilies, from North American turtles, he has clearly elucidated some important points of systematic nature. Subsequently, the same author has considerably added to our knowledge of the group in several memoirs mentioned in the list of references at the end of the present communication.