Cystidicola farionis

Cystidicola farionis adults are found in the swim bladder of a wide variety of physostomous fishes. Eggs shed by the female pass down the pneumatic duct and reach the esophagus. The eggs then are passed out in the faeces. The eggs are ingested by amphipods, hatch, and the larvae penetrates into the haemocoele and moult twice to third-stage larvae (L3). It is the L3 that is the infective stage. When an amphipod containing an infective L3 is eaten by an appropriate fish, the L3 is released and migrates through the pneumatic duct to the swim bladder and moults twice to the adult stage. Large quantities of mucous are produced in the swim bladder of fishes that are heavily infected. Whether this affects host buoancy control is not known.

You have both male and female worms in your slidebox. Structures to note include the nerve ring, the muscular and glandular portions of the esophagus, nerve ring, intestine and anus. See if you can locate the excretory pore. On females note the uterus, ovary, and vulva and on males note the testis and the spicules.

Cystidicola farionis anterior end

Cystidicola farionis male posterior end

Cystidicola farionis female

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