Neophasis spp

Kremnev, Georgii, Gonchar, Anna, Krapivin, Vladimir, Uryadova, Alexandra, Miroliubov, Aleksei & Krupenko, Darya, 2021, Life cycle truncation in Digenea, a case study of Neophasis spp. (Acanthocolpidae), International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 15, pp. 158-172 : 162

3.1. Morphological identification of the Neophasis spp . life cycle stages

We found sexual adults of the Acanthocolpidae , which could easily be recognized as Neophasis oculata and N. anarrhichae in Myoxocephalus scorpius and Anarhichas lupus , respectively. We identified the acanthocolpid metacercariae from M. scorpius as N. oculata since this is the only known acanthocolpid species in the White Sea which encysts in fish ( Shulman and Shulman-Albova, 1953). Many cases of acanthocolpid infection were found in Buccinum undatum and several, in Neptunea despecta ; no specimens of B. scalariforme were infected. Intramolluscan stages of Acanthocolpidae from B. undatum predominantly corresponded to the previously described life cycle stages of N. anarrhichae

( Lebour, 1910; Chubrik, 1966; Køie, 1969). However, in several infected specimens of B. undatum and all infected specimens of N. despecta we found acanthocolpid cercariae with much more prominent eyespots. We suggested that these might belong to N. oculata . Finally, we discovered a mother sporocyst and mother rediae in several B. undatum specimens and supposed that they might belong to the Acanthocolpidae .