Russell-Pinto F, Bowers E A
Department of Aquatic Production, Center of Marine and Environmental Reserch-CIMAR, Univeristy of Oporto, Porto, Portugal.
J Parasitol. 1998 Aug;84(4):715-22.
Unencysted metacercariae of Meiogymnophallus minutus (Cobbold, 1859) and the sibling species Meiogymnophallus fossarum (Bartoli, 1965) infect the edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule (L.), with free metacercariae occurring simultaneously in the same host specimens in Portugal. Observations on the tegument of both species show that changes in the morphology of the body surface occurs in the intermediate host. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed an alveoli-like tegument with palmate, digitated spines protruding from each individual alveolus. Uniciliated papillate receptors, which may or not may be recessed, were abundant, surrounding the suckers as well as being distributed on the body surface. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a significant number of 3 types of densely packed secretory vesicles, thin cysternae, and mitochondria in the surface tegument of the body, oral cavity, and esophagus. No distinguishing differences were observed in the surface ultrastructure of M. minutus and M. fossarum metacercariae.
微小美隐睾吸虫（Cobbold，1859年）和同属的梅氏隐睾吸虫（Bartoli，1965年）的未包囊后尾蚴会感染食用鸟蛤（Cerastoderma edule (L.)），在葡萄牙，游离的后尾蚴会同时出现在同一宿主标本中。对这两种吸虫体表的观察表明，在中间宿主体表会发生体表形态的变化。扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜观察显示，其体表呈肺泡样，每个肺泡都有掌状、指状的棘突。单纤毛乳头状感受器丰富，有的凹陷，有的不凹陷，围绕着吸盘分布在体表。透射电子显微镜显示，在虫体体表、口腔和食管的表面皮层中有大量三种类型紧密排列的分泌囊泡、薄池和线粒体。微小美隐睾吸虫和梅氏隐睾吸虫后尾蚴的表面超微结构未观察到明显差异。
