Microcotyle eueides facts for kids

Microcotyle eueides is a tiny species of worm. It is a monogenean, which means it is a parasite that lives on the outside of its host. This particular worm lives on the gills of marine fish. It is part of a family of worms called Microcotylidae.

Who Discovered This Worm?

Microcotyle eueides was first described in 1913. Two scientists, MacCallum and MacCallum, found it. They found this worm living on the gills of a fish called the striped bass. At that time, the striped bass was known by a different scientific name, Roccus lineatus.

What Does This Worm Look Like?

The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is the main host for Microcotyle eueides.

Microcotyle eueides has a very delicate and thin body. It is symmetrical, meaning both sides are the same. The body gets narrower at each end. It has a front part where most of its organs are. It also has a back part called a haptor.

The haptor is a special gripping part. It has clamps arranged in two rows, one on each side. These clamps help the worm hold tightly onto the fish's gill. At the very front of the worm, there are two small suckers. These suckers help the worm attach and feed.

Inside the worm, there is a mouth at the front. It has a small throat, called a oesophagus. Then there is a gut, or intestine, with two main branches. These branches have many smaller branches and reach far back into the haptor. Each adult worm has both male and female reproductive organs.

Where Does It Live?

The main fish that Microcotyle eueides lives on is the striped bass (Morone saxatilis). This fish was called Roccus lineatus when the worm was first found. The first place this worm was discovered was in New York.