Paracamallanus cyathopharynx

Paracamallanus cyathopharynx	Contents	Rev 12/27/2025
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Paracamallanus Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Camallanidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Classification:

Chromadorea
Rhabditia

Rhabditida

Spirurina

Camallanoidea

Camallanidae

Camallaninae

Paracamallanus cyathopharynx Baylix, 1923

Parasites of freshwater catfish

Morphology and Anatomy:

Medium-sized nematode
Mouth slit-like, dorsoventrally elongate, surrounded by 8 submedian cephalic papillae and pair of small lateral amphids
Buccal capsule yellowish, highly sclerotized. Narrow isthmus separating anterior portion of buccal capsule from posterior; anterior portion of capsule formed by 2 lateral valves, each valve with smooth longitudinal ridge; anterior ends of the ridges forming 6 distinct teeth. Outer surface of each valve with 2 large v-shaped sclerotized plates near anterior margin.
Dorsal and ventral sides of anterior portion of buccal capsule with large tridents. Small tridents present anteriorly to the larger ones
Pharynx cylindrical shaped, terminating in a cyathiform (cup-shaped) structure of 2 parts: anterior longer than posterior one, more sclerotized, thick walls surrounding spacious cavity; posterior smaller, with thin walls.
Esophagus muscular anteriorly, glandular posteriorly
Nerve ring encircles muscular esophagus, short distance posterior to buccal capsule and excretory pore a short distance posterior to nerve ring. Small deirid, situated near level of nerve ring

Female:

Vulva at about 60% of body length.
Uterus with several larvae. Anus
Tail 322.um long with 4 large, digitate processes

Male:

Smaller than females
Posterior end of body with narrow caudal alae runs
Preanal papillae: 5 pairs of penduculate subventral papillae. Postanal papillae: 3 pairs at short distance posterior to cloaca and 1 pair of similar papillae approximately at mid-length of tail.
Right spicule larger, more sclerotized, with sharply curved process at distal end, proximal end rigid, strong. Left spicule not observed.
Caudal end terminating in 4 processes (2 larger and 2 very small)

Ref Rindoria et al., 2020

Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

Paracamallanus cyathopharynx is a common parasite of clariid catfish and has been reported from catfish in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Cental African Republic. D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Benin, South Africa, Israel, and from catfish farms in Kenya (Rindoria et al., 2020).

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Feeding:

Intestinal parasite of Sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus..

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click	If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

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

Rindoria, N.M., Dos Santos, Q.M., Avenant-Oldewage, A. 2020. Additonal morphological features and molecular data of Paracamallanus cyathopharynx (Nematoda: Camallanidae) infecting Clarias gariepinus (Actinopterygii: Clarriidae) in Kenya. J. Parsitol. 106:157-166.