''Bolbosoma'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Acanthocephala Acanthocephala ( Greek , ' 'thorn' + , ' 'head') is a group of parasitic worms known as acanthocephalans, thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms, characterized by the presence of an eversible proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses t ...

(thorny-headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms).

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Porta in 1908.

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

analysis has been published on ''Bolbosoma'' species.

Description

''Bolbosoma'' species consist of a proboscis covered in hooks and a long trunk.

Species

The genus ''Bolbosoma'' contains twelve species. * ''Bolbosoma australis'' Skrjabin, 1972 * ''Bolbosoma balaenae'' (Gmelin, 1790) Found in the

fin whale The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as the finback whale or common rorqual, is a species of baleen whale and the second-longest cetacean after the blue whale. The biggest individual reportedly measured in length, wi ...

(''Balaenoptera physalus''). * ''Bolbosoma brevicolle'' (Malm, 1867) * ''Bolbosoma caenoforme'' Heitz, 1920 * ''Bolbosoma capitatum'' (von Linstow, 1880) * ''Bolbosoma hamiltoni'' Baylis, 1929 * ''Bolbosoma heteracanthe'' (Heitz, 1917) * ''Bolbosoma nipponicum'' Yamaguti, 1939 * ''Bolbosoma scomberomori'' Wang, 1980 * ''Bolbosoma tuberculata'' Skrjabin, 1970 * ''Bolbosoma turbinella'' (Diesing, 1851) Found in the

South American fur seal The South American fur seal (''Arctocephalus australis'') breeds on the coasts of Peru, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. The total population is around 250,000. However, population counts are sparse and outdated. Althou ...

, (''Arctocephalus australis''). * ''Bolbosoma vasculosum'' (Rudolphi, 1819)

Distribution

The distribution of ''Bolbosoma'' is determined by that of its hosts. The genus has

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...

Hosts

The life cycle of an acanthocephalan consists of three stages beginning when an infective acanthor (development of an egg) is released from the intestines of the

definitive host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

and then ingested by an arthropod, the

intermediate host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

. Although the intermediate hosts of ''Bolbosoma'' are arthropods. When the acanthor

molt In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is a process by which an animal casts off parts of its body to serve some beneficial purpose, either at ...

s, the second stage called the acanthella begins. This stage involves penetrating the wall of the

mesenteron The midgut is the portion of the human embryo from which almost all of the small intestine and approximately half of the large intestine develop. After it bends around the superior mesenteric artery, it is called the "midgut loop". It comprises t ...

or the intestine of the intermediate host and growing. The final stage is the infective cystacanth which is the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

l or juvenile state of an Acanthocephalan, differing from the adult only in size and stage of sexual development. The cystacanths within the intermediate hosts are consumed by the definitive host, usually attaching to the walls of the intestines, and as adults they reproduce sexually in the intestines. The acanthor is passed in the

feces Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...

of the definitive host and the cycle repeats. There may be paratenic hosts (hosts where parasites infest but do not undergo larval development or sexual reproduction) for ''Bolbosoma''. ''Bolbosoma'' parasitizes animals. There are reported cases of ''Bolbosoma'' infesting humans. File:Finhval (1).jpg, alt=Aerial photograph of a fin whale on the surface of the ocean, The

is a host for ''B. balaenae''. File:Seebär südamerikanisch Zoo Landau.JPG, alt=A South American fur seal on a rock, The

is a host for ''B. turbinella''.

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2691039 Polymorphidae Acanthocephala genera