METACERCARIAL ENCYSTMENT AND IN-VIVO CULTIVATION OF CERCARIA-LEBOURI STUNKARD 1932 (DIGENEA, NOTOCOTYLIDAE) TO ADULTS IDENTIFIED AS PARAMONOSTOMUM-CHABAUDI VAN-STRYDONCK 1965

Metacercarial encystment and in vivo cultivation of Cercaria lebouri S tunkard 1932 (Digenea: Notocotylidae) to adults identified as Paramono stomum chabaudi van Strydonck 1965. international Journal for Parasito logy 27: 1299-1304. Cercariae found occurring in naturally infected ga stropod molluscs, Littorina littorea, were identified as Cer caria leb ouri Stunkard 1932. They were induced to form metacercarial cysts on t he surface of glass Petri dishes. Each cercaria became attached by its oral sucker and adopted a disc-like shape before discarding its tail. A transparent cyst wall was secreted over and around each organism, i nside which developmental changes were observed for up to 4 weeks. Six -week-old metacercariae were fed to 1-day-old chickens which yielded a dult worms 12 days later. The worms were measured, photographed and de scribed. Initially, attempts to identify the adult worms using a key a nd catalogue proved ineffective. However, comparison of the adult fluk es grown from C. lebouri with the definitive description of Paramonost omum chabaudi van Strydonck 1965 indicated that the two organisms are synonymous. The larval stages of P. chabaudi had not, until nos, been identified. (C) 1997 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.