The metacercariae of Acanthotrema felis Sohn et al., 2003 (Digenea: Heterophyidae) were discovered in a species of the brackish water fish, Acanthogobius flavimanus, in the Republic of Korea. They were experimentally fed to kittens, and adult flukes were harvested 7 days later. The adults were morphologically characterized by the presence of a bipartite seminal vesicle, the ventral sucker associated with a ventrogenital sac enclosing 3 sclerites (2 long and pointed, and 1 short and thumb-like), and an unarmed gonotyl. The adult flukes were identified as A. felis Sohn et al., 2003, and the brackish water fish A. flavimanus has been verified as one of its second intermediate hosts.
Animals ; Cats/parasitology ; Fishes/*parasitology ; Histocytochemistry/veterinary ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology/pathology/veterinary ; Korea ; Trematoda/anatomy & histology/*growth & development ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/pathology/veterinary

In the present study, we evaluated the histological morphology of the adult Paramphistomum (P.) gracile. Adult flukes with bodies 5~15 mm in length and 2~7 mm in width were subjected to histological analysis. Longitudinal and transversal serial-sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined. The body surface and longitudinal section of P. gracile were also assessed using scanning electron microscopy. In this species, the anterior sucker and posterior sucker (acetabulum) were present on an anterior and posterior part of the body, respectively. The major folds were located in the areas of the anterior sucker, genital canal, and posterior sucker. The fluke membrane was spineless at the tegument surface and in the tegument tissue. Histological data showed structural-systematic characteristics of the digestive tract, reproductive tract, excretory tract, copulatory organs, connective tissues, and muscle tissues. We attempted to elucidate the histological characteristics of P. gracile that might increase the knowledge and understanding of rumen fluke morphology.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*parasitology/pathology ; Female ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/veterinary ; Rumen/parasitology ; Stomach Diseases/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary ; Thailand ; Trematoda/*anatomy & histology/isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary