An ultrastructural study of the cellular response of the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., to Rhipidocotyle johnstonei nom. nov. (pro‐Gasterostomum sp. Johnstone, 1905) Matthews, 1968 (Digenea: Bucephalidae)

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Abstract
An ultrastructural study of the cellular response of plaice to Rhipidocotyle johnstonei nom. nov. Matthews, 1968, revealed a chronic inflammatory lesion containing cells mainly of the mononuclear phagocyte series. The ‘granuloma’ included monocytes, macrophages, epithelioid cells and multinucleated cells with peripheral fibrocytes. The presence of small numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells in the mature granuloma suggests a cell‐mediated response. The parasite becomes adult within two months and survives for approximately 10 months, the capsules becoming increasingly fibrotic. Heavy infections in young fish cause fin erosion, haemorrhage and probably impair muscle function, increasing the risk of predation.