Phylum Platyhelminthes Order Opisthorchiida | ||
Genus GalactosomumLooss, 1899 | ||
Galactosomum is a genus of flukes within the family Heterophyidae, which is part of the order Opisthorchiida. There are currently twenty-one recognised species within the genus. They mainly infect aquatic birds, but often infest fish as larvae. Three species are known to use marine mammals as hosts.
Contents
Description
The excised spherical metacercaria is 2.7–4.9 mm long. Generally, only one is found per fish.
Life cycle
Some species of Galactosomum that cause infected fish to swim closer to the surface and colorfully flash their underbellies. 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.