''Trypanorhyncha'' is an order of

cestodes Cestoda is a class of parasitic worms in the flatworm phylum (Platyhelminthes). Most of the species—and the best-known—are those in the subclass Eucestoda; they are ribbon-like worms as adults, known as tapeworms. Their bodies consist of man ...

, a type of flatworm. Some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

infect gamefish, such as sciaenids, during the parasitic worm's

plerocercoid ''Plerocercoid'' refers to last larval form, the infective form, found in the second intermediate host of many Cestoda Cestoda is a class of parasitic worms in the flatworm phylum (Platyhelminthes). Most of the species—and the best-known� ...

stage, and are commonly called spaghetti worm because of their appearance, approximating cooked

spaghetti Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridg ...

. Such species include '' Poecilancistrium caryophyllum'' and '' Pseudogrillotia pleistacantha''. Their scolex, or head region, has 2 to 4 bothria, or sucking grooves that cling onto the host. They have four retractable tentacles.

Gallery

FIG11 Nybelinia basimegacantha Tentacle.png, Tentacle of '' Nybelinia basimegacantha'', parasitic in the fish '' Neoniphon sammara'' Parasite140092-fig2 FIG 2 Cestoda Trypanorhyncha Callitetrarhynchus gracilis in Scomberomorus commerson.JPG, Plerocerci of '' Callitetrarhynchus gracilis'' in the body cavity of the fish ''

Scomberomorus commerson The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (''Scomberomorus commerson'') is a mackerel of the family Scombridae found in a wide-ranging area in Southeast Asia, but as far west as the east coast of Africa and from the Middle East and along the northern ...

'' Parasite140092-fig2 FIG 3 Cestoda Trypanorhyncha melanized plerocerci in Epinephelus sp.JPG, melanized plerocerci in the bodycavity of a

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

Parasite140092-fig2 FIG 6 Cestoda Trypanorhyncha Molicola horridus in Diodon hystrix liver.png, '' Molicola horridus'' in the liver of the fish ''

Diodon hystrix Porcupinefishes or balloonfishes, are any of the various species of the genus ''Diodon'', the type genus of Diodontidae. Distinguishing features Fish of the genus ''Diodon'' have: * two-rooted, movable spines (which are derived from modified s ...

References

Cestoda Platyhelminthes orders {{cestoda-stub