Family Camallanidae

Revised 02/13/24

• A family of nematode parasites of fish and reptiles, especially freshwater fish.
• Characterized by a well-developed, usually orange-colored buccal capsule
• Life cycle usually involving a copepod intermediate host
• Mostly gastrointestinal, blood-sucking parasites of marine, brackish-water and freshwater fishes and, less often, of amphibians and aquatic reptiles (turtles, snakes).

Two subfamilies recognized:

• Camallaninae
• Procamallaninae

References

Moravec, F., Justine, J-L. 2019. New species and new records of camallanid nematodes (Nematoda, Camallanidae) from marine fishes and sea snakes in New Caledonia. Parasite 26:66; doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2019068

Stromberg, P.C., Crites, J.L. 1974. Specialization, Body Volume, and Geographical Distribution of Camallanidae (Nematoda). Systematic Biology 23:189–201.

Svitin, R., Truter, M., Kudlai, O., Smit, N.J., du Preez, L. 2019. Novel information on the morphology, phylogeny and distribution of camallanid nematodes from marine and freshwater hosts in South Africa, including the description of Camallanus sodwanaensis n. sp. IJP: Parasites and Wildlife 10:263-273.

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