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Acanthoephala; thorny headed worms
Acanthocephalans are not encountered as commonly as parasitic flatworms (trematodes and tapeworms) or nematodes, yet they are found in many species of fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals. [eng]
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Acanthocephala
All acanthocephalans, or spiny-headed worms, are gut parasites of vertebrates (Phylum A-33), usually of carnivores. They are bilaterally symmetrical and either unsegmented or only superficially segmented. [eng]
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Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms)
Acanthocephalans are not encountered as commonly as parasitic flatworms (trematodes and tapeworms) or nematodes, yet they are found in many species of fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Several morphological characteristics serve to separate acanthocephalans from other parasitic worms, but probably the most notable is the presence of an anterior, protrusible proboscis that is usually covered with hooks. It is this characteristic that gives the acanthocephalans their common name, the thorny-headed worms. [eng]
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