Cephaloidophoridae is a family of parasitic

alveolates The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major unranked clade or superphylum within Eukaryota. They are currently grouped with the Stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristat ...

of the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; : phyla) is a level of classification, or taxonomic rank, that is below Kingdom (biology), kingdom and above Class (biology), class. Traditionally, in botany the term division (taxonomy), division has been used instead ...

Apicomplexia The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia; single: apicomplexan) are organisms of a large phylum of mainly parasitic Alveolata, alveolates. Most possess a unique form of organelle#Eukaryotic organelles, organelle structure that comprises a type o ...

Taxonomy

There are three genera in this taxon and seventy named species.

History

This taxon was created by Kamm in 1922.Kamm MEW (1922) Studies on gregarines II: Synopsis of the polycystid gregarines of the world, excluding those from the Myriapoda, Orthoptera, and Coleoptera. University of Illinois Press

Description

Species in this family infect

crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...

s and infect only a single host during their life cycle. They are spread by the orofaecal route and infect the intestine of the host. Their early development is within the cells of the intestine. Once mature they rupture the cell and escape into the intestinal lumen. The primite is distinguishable from satellite. The parasites associate with one another prior to syzygy in a head to tail (caudofrontal) fashion. There is marked

anisogamy Different forms of anisogamy: A) anisogamy of motile cells, B) 283x283px Anisogamy is a form of sexual reproduction">egg cell">oogamy (egg cell and sperm cell), C) anisogamy of non-motile cells (egg cell and spermatia).">283x283px Anisogamy is ...

. The gametocysts open by simple rupture; The

oocyst Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism ...

s are ovoid or spherical in shape. There is a protruding equatorial ridge but there is no distinct epispore;

Differential diagnosis

References

Conoidasida Alveolata families {{Apicomplexa-stub