Rev 08/07/2025
Subgenera of Procamallanus are recognized, including Procamallanus, which has a smooth lining of the buccal capsule, and Spirocamallanus, with a spiral thickening of the inner buccal wall (Olsen, 1952, Khalifa et al, 2019). Currently, the most accepted system for distinguishing genera (and/or subgenera) within Camallanidae is almost entirely based on the morphology of the buccal capsule. Genetic evidences suggest that the morphology-based system is artificial; a more integrative approach suggests that Procamallanus and Spirocamallanus should be considered valid independent genera (Ailan-Choke and Pereira, 2021).
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Procamallanus elatensis female. A: Ventral view of anterior, buccal capsule and eesophagus; B: & C: Cephalic region with buccal capsule, nerverting, basal ring and stoma; D: Ventral view of posterior; E and G: Ventrolateral view of posterior, rectum and anus; F: Ventral view of posterior, rectum, phasmidand anus. Abbreviations; An, anus; BC, buccal capsule; BR, basal ring; Ca, caudal alae; Cl; cloaca; GO, glandular oesophagus; In, intestine; MO, muscular esophagus; Mo, stoma; NR, nerve ring; Ph, phasmid; Pr, proctodeum; Re, rectum; Ta, tail. (adapted from Khalifa et al., 2019).
Female:
Males:
Many species reported as parasites of fish and sea snakes in Indo-Pacific and other waters.
Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Procamallanus
Most species are gastrointestinal, blood-sucking parasites of marine, brackish-water and freshwater fishes and, less often, of amphibians and aquatic reptiles (turtles, snakes), They usually have a copepod as an intermediate host (Moravec andd Justine, 2019).
In studies on Procamallanus rebecae, the copepod Mesocyclops chaci was found to be an intermediate host, guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were paratenic hosts and the Mayan cichlid, Mayaheros urophthalmus, a freshwater fish, a definitive host (Moravec et al., 2025).
Ailan-Choke, L.G. and Pereira, F.B. 2021. Deep in the systematics of Camallanidae (Nematoda): using integrative taxonomy to better understand the phylogeny and consistency of diagnostic traits. Parasitology. 2021;148(8):962-974. doi:10.1017/S0031182021000706
Baylis, H.A. 1923: Some parasitic worms, mainly from fishes from Lake Tanganyika. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10,1:552-62.
Khalifa, R.M.A., Mohamadain, H.S., Karrar, Y.F.M. 2019. Redescription and systematic studies on Procamallanus (Procamallanus) elatensis Fusco & Overstreet, 199 from three Red Sea Siganus sp. fishes. J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol. 49: 81-90.
Gonzalez-Solis, D., Moravec, F., Vidal-Martinez-V.M. 2002. Procalallanus (Spirocamallanus) chetumalensis n.sp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) from the mayan sea catfish, Ariopsis assimilis, off the Caribbean coast of Mecico. J. Parasitol. 88: 765-768.
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
Moravec, F., Salgado-Maldonado, G., Gonzalez-Solis, D. 2025. Some nematodes from fishes of the Lacant�n River in the Lacandon rain forest of Chiapas State, southern Mexico, including Cucullanus potamarii sp. n. (Cucullanidae) from the endemic catfish Potamarius usumacintae (Ariidae). Folia Parasitologica 2025, 72: 020 doi: 10.14411/fp.2025.020
Olsen, LS, 1952: Some nematodes parasitic in marine fishes: Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, University of Texas 11,2:173- 215