Galactosomum

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Galactosomum is a genus of flukes in the family Heterophyidae. There are currently 28 recognised species within the genus. They mainly infect aquatic birds, but often infest fish as larvae.[1] Three species are known to use marine mammals as hosts.

Description

The excised spherical metacercaria is 2.7–4.9 mm long.[2] Generally, only one is found per fish.[3]

Life cycle

Some species of Galactosomum cause infected fish to swim closer to the surface and colorfully flash their underbellies.[4] In fish, symptoms can be similar to those of whirling disease caused by the unrelated parasite Myxobolus cerebralis.[3] Gastropods hosting select species suffer from sensory impairment due to infestation. This makes these prey animals more likely to be consumed by aquatic birds, providing a host for the parasite to reach the mature stage of its life cycle. Galactosomum cannot survive in human hosts.[4]

Species

References

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External links

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