Complete Life Cycle of the Elasmobranch Cestode, Lacistorhynchus dollfusi Beveridge and Sakanari, 1987 (Trypanorhyncha)

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Abstract
We describe the complete life cycle of the cestode Lacistorhynchus dollfusi Beveridge and Sakanari, 1987 (Trypanorhyncha). Gravid proglottids of L. dollfusi from the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, were placed in sea water and released eggs. Coracidia hatched out of the eggs and were fed to the copepod, Tigriopus californicus, which were fed to the mosquitofish. Gambusia affinis. Leopard sharks born in captivity were fed plerocerci from the mosquitofish. Gravid proglottids were obtained 21 mo postinfection (PI). To complete the life cycle, gravid proglottids were removed from a laboratory-infected shark and placed in sea water. Eggs hatched and the coracidia were fed to T. californicus. Mosquitofish feeding on these copepods developed plerocerci. We also have elucidated the life cycle of Lacistorhynchus tenuis. Following the protocol described above, leopard sharks were infected with L. tenuis that originated from the smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis. Adult worms were recovered 18 mo PI.