Acanthocephalan, or thorny-headed worm, is a member of Acanthocephala, a group of parasitic worms characterized by an eversible proboscis armed with spines that it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host. Acanthocephalans have complex life cycles involving at least two hosts, which may include invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds and mammals, and about 1,420 species have been described.
Facts
Classification
Living or Extinct Scientific Name Connections
Sources
1. Wikidata: Acanthocephala
- Wikidata Q178235, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikipedia 'Acanthocephala': a group of parasitic worms
- Child Taxon Of: Spiralia, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon)
View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ178235, descriptionView the Source 3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Acanthocephala
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyTaxon recordQuote, Taxon record
"canonicalName": "Acanthocephala"
Wikipedia: Acanthocephala
diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)Quote, diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
Acanthocephala (Greek ἄκανθος, akanthos 'thorn' + κεφαλή, kephale 'head') is a group of parasitic worms known as acanthocephalans, thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms, characterized by the presence of an eversible proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host.
Acanthocephala (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIn Group: Rotifers and Spiny-Headed Worms, LeadQuote, In Group: Rotifers and Spiny-Headed Worms, Lead
Recent genome analysis has shown that they are descended from, and should be considered as, highly modified rotifers.
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