Acanthocephalan Parasite
Corynosoma australe
The adult lives attached to the intestinal lining of marine mammals, especially fur seals and sea lions in southern coastal waters. It anchors with a spiny, eversible proboscis and absorbs nutrients across its body surface instead of using a mouth or gut. Adults mate inside the host, and females release eggs that leave with feces to continue the life cycle. Its most notable feature is the hooked head that lets a small soft-bodied worm hold fast in a turbulent intestine.
- Type
- Horn
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- ?
- Acanthocephalan Parasite