ATTACHMENT AND DETACHMENT OF THE ANTERIOR ADHESIVE PADS OF THE MONOGENEAN (PLATYHELMINTH) PARASITE ENTOBDELLA-SOLEAE FROM THE SKIN OF THE COMMON SOLE (SOLEA-SOLEA)

By preserving specimens of the monogenean (platyhelminth) parasite Ent obdella soleae at intervals during locomotion and processing these par asites for transmission and scanning electron microscopy, evidence was found to suggest that adhesion of the anterior pads to the skin of th e host, the sole Solen solen, is brought about by interaction between the two kinds of glandular secretion supplied to the pads. It is sugge sted that the specialised pad tegument through which the gland cell du cts pass may be instrumental in severing the adhesive bond by dissolvi ng the cement immediately adjacent to this tegumental surface. (C) 199 8 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.