Discocotyle sagittata is a species of freshwater monogenean gill ectoparasites of Salmo and Oncorhynchus. Their lifestyle is characterised by a free-living larval stage that may be inhaled by a suitable freshwater fish host, after which they may attach upon expulsion over the gill onto a single gill filament. Upon reaching maturity, parasites can remain attached by a posterior opisthaptor with its 8 associated clamps (4 in 2 rows). Adults may reach a few millimetres in length. D. sagittata feeds on the blood of the gills via an anterior mouth part. Adults are hermaphrodite, and produce 3–14 eggs per day at 13 °C, a process which is temperature dependent.[1] Once produced, eggs drop to the riverbed surface and at 13 °C take 28 days to develop to hatching larval forms. Major parasite burden can result in damage to the host gill and anaemia from blood loss.

Discocotyle sagittata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Monogenea
Order: Mazocraeidea
Family: Discocotylidae
Genus: Discocotyle
Species:
D. sagittata
Binomial name
Discocotyle sagittata
(Leuckart, 1842)
Synonyms
  • Octobothrium sagittata Leuckart, 1842

References

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  1. ^ Gannicott, AM; Tinsley, RC (2014-05-14). "Environmental effects on transmission of Discocotyle sagittata (Monogenea): egg production and development". Parasitology. 117 (5): 499–504. doi:10.1017/s0031182098003205. PMID 9836315.