Anisakis simplex
Anisakis simplex
Taxonomy
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Nematoda
- Class Secernentea
- Order Ascaridida
- Superfamily Ascaridoidea
- Family Ascarididae
- Genus Anisakis
Final host
Sea mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds)
Morphology
Adult worms are very large and the mouth has three lips Males lack a bursa L3 are ≈ 1.5-3 cm long and have a prominent boring tooth at the anterior extremity The oesophagus of L3 is composed of an anterior muscular part and a glandular ventriculus, and the larval body ends at a short mucron
Cycle
Indirect with marine Eufausiidae crustaceans ("krill") as intermediate hosts and fish and cephalopods as paratenic hosts (man can act as an endpoint, accidental host)
Location
Stomach
Feeding
Gastrointestinal content
Diagnostic
L3 in fish (paratenic host) Eggs in Final host
Transmission
L3 within Eufausiidae crustaceans (intermediate hosts) or within fish or cephalopods (paratenic hosts)