A NEW ACANTHOCOLPID CERCARIA (DIGENEA) FROM CANTHARUS-DORBIGNYI (PROSOBRANCHIA) IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

A new cercaria is recorded from the prosobranch snail Cantharus dorbig nyi from the sublittoral region off the coast of Corsica. The redia, c ercaria and metacercaria (the latter experimentally developed in the l abrid fishes Symphodus ocellatus and S. rostratus) are described, alon g with the behaviour of naturally emitted cercariae. In view of the mo rphology of the larval stages, the parasite is thought likely to be an acanthocolpid. The morphology of the cercaria and metacercaria are co mpared with both known and suspected acanthocolpid cercariae and with adult acanthocolpids known to occur in the Mediterranean. Morphologica l and circumstantial evidence suggests that this cercaria may be a spe cies of the genus Tormopsolus.