Internal Morphology and Phylogenetic Position of (Pancrustacea: Rhizocephala), an Enigmatic Parasitic Barnacle.

is an enigmatic parasitic barnacle from the family Mycetomorphidae, known for its unclear phylogenetic position within Rhizocephala. Specimens of were collected from infected shrimps near the South Kuril Islands. Detailed morphological studies were conducted using histological techniques and scanning electron microscopy, and 18S rDNA sequences were used to resolve the phylogenetic position of within Rhizocephala.

Parasitism in coral reefs: Trophic ecology of crustacean ascothoracidan parasites and their coral hosts from Malaysia.

Coral reefs house a great variety of symbiotic associations, including parasitism. One of the crucial issues in the host-symbiont interactions is the parasites' feeding mode. Does the parasite/symbiont use the host's tissues for nutrition, steal food from the host's digestive system, or take food directly from the environment? However, most of the parasitism in corals is endosymbiotic (endoparasitic).

Parvatrema spp. (Digenea, Gymnophallidae) with parthenogenetic metacercariae: diversity, distribution and host specificity in the palaearctic.

There are several species of gymnophallid digeneans in the genus Parvatrema that are unique in developing metacercariae that reproduce by parthenogenesis in the second intermediate host. Transmission of these digeneans takes place in coastal ecosystems of the North Pacific and North Atlantic seas. The first intermediate hosts are bivalves, the second ones are gastropods, and the definitive hosts are migratory birds.

Tricks of the puppet masters: morphological adaptations to the interaction with nervous system underlying host manipulation by rhizocephalan barnacle .

Background: Rhizocephalan interaction with their decapod hosts is a superb example of host manipulation. These parasites are able to alter the host's physiology and behavior. Host-parasite interaction is performed, presumably, special modified rootlets invading the ventral ganglions.

Polymorphic parasitic larvae cooperate to build swimming colonies luring hosts.

Parasites have evolved a variety of astonishing strategies to survive within their hosts, yet the most challenging event in their personal chronicles is the passage from one host to another. It becomes even more complex when a parasite needs to pass through the external environment. Therefore, the free-living stages of parasites present a wide range of adaptations for transmission.