Proleptus acutus		Contents		Rev 09/27/2024
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Proleptus  Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Physalopteridae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• mouth bounded by two simple pseudolabia, each bearing two submedian papillae; large conical projection on the inner surface of each pseudolabia;
•  esophagus divided in two portions, the anterior short and muscular, endingh below the nerve ring; the posterior long, glandular, and more dilated posteriorly.
•  two cervical papillae anterior to the nerve ring

Proleptus acutus. Left: detail of the anterior extremity (left, bar 100um); Right: male tail with spicules and caudal alae (right, bar 500um). Drawings from Silva et al., 2008

Female:

•  didelphic, vulva situated near the posterior end; vagina not long;
•  two parallel prodelphic uterine branches;
• eggs were ovoid with coiled embryos
•  anus subterminal;
• tail conical

Male:

• two unequal spicules, the smaller was broad at the base and tapering rapidly towards the tip, and the larger a long tubular shaft widening at the posterior end due to ala narrowing sharply before the tip
• tail ventrally coiled, with a very broad caudal alae with eight pairs of pedunculate and riblike papillae (three preanal and five postanal);

Ref Silva et al., 2008

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Distribution:

Reported from the elasmobranch ray, Zapteryx brevirostris Müller & Henle, 1841 which lives at depths up to 120m off the coast of Brazil between northeastern Brazil and Northern Argentina.

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Feeding:

Intestinal parasite of marine fish. Reprted fromstomach and intestine of ray host.

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References:

Copyright 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: September 27, 2024.