Life Cycle and Electron Microscopy of some Cestode Fish Parasites of Kashmir Valley

Abstract

The present study involved the electron newlinemicroscopy and life cycle study of some fish cestodes of Kashmir valley Two fish types ie Schizothorax and Cyprinus were observed for these worms and two types of cestodes viz Adenoscolex and Bothriocephalus were obtained during the present endeavor The cestodes or tapeworms are endoparasitic with a wide range of geographical distribution With few exceptions all cestodes require at least two hosts Often one o f the intermediate hosts is an invertebrate that is eaten by another intermediate host or by the final host Transmission between these hosts in a life cycle may be through free living infective stages or via predation by one host on the previous host in the life cycle Two life cycle stages o f cestodes viz adult and plerocercoid are represented in fish The adults inhabit the intestine and pyloric caeca and plerocercoid larvae of the same or different ccstode species are found in visceral organs and musculature The present study on the life cycle of fish cestodes involved the study of a pseudophyllidean cestode Bothriocephalus acheilognathi and a caryophyllaeid newlinecestode Adenoscolex The B acheilognathi or the Asian tapeworm is a key parasite of carps and other cyprinids Adenoscolex is a Caryophylleld cestode present in the intestine of fishes The present endeavour deals with the development and life cycle of these fish cestodes under natural as well as experimental conditions newline