Acanthocephala

:For the plant genus, see Parodia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Archiacanthocephala

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Palaeacanthocephala

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eoacanthocephala

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Acanthocephala (gr. Acanthus - thorn Kephale - head) is a phylum of parasitic worms, characterised by the presence of an evertable proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of their host. Acanthocephalans typically have complex life cycles, involving a number of hosts, including invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals. About 850 species have been described.

Related Topics:
Phylum - Parasitic - Proboscis - Gut - Invertebrate - Fish - Amphibia - Bird - Mammal - Species

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~