The morphology and the systematic position of a new Trematode from the intestine of the golden orfe, Leuciscus idus, with a note on the classification of the family Allocreadiidae

Abstract

A considerable amount of attention has been paid to the parasites of fresh water fishes in the West on account of the great economic importance of fishes, particularly their value in food. Their importance further increases, when we find that they also serve, in several cases, as carriers of the larval stages of the helminth parasites of man and domesticated animals. The work prior to 1924 has been summarised by Nicoll (1924), where he has given a complete bibliography on the subject, and has, besides, indicated the important and characteristic Trematodes of fresh water fishes. In this list he enumerates the forms like Sphaerostoma bramae (=Dist. globiporum); Allocreadium isoporum; Catoptroides macrocotyle; Azygia lucii; Bucephalus polymorphus; Diplostomum volvens; Diplozoon paradoxum; and Gyrodactylus elegans. This list has been considerably enlarged by subsequent workers by the addition of several general and species from the fresh water hosts from different parts of the world, the principal workers being Nicoll, Odhner, Poche and Travassos. In India, the additions to our knowledge of the Trematode parasites of fishes has been made by Southwell (1913), Southwell and Prashad (1919), Verma (1927) and Thapar (1930). The present paper adds yet another genus to the already extensive list of Trematode parasites of fishes.