Scanning Electron Microscopy of Leucochloridiomorpha constantiae during Development from Metacercaria to Adult

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the tegument of Leucochloridiomorpha constantiae metacercariae was marked with interconnected longitudinal and transverse ridges. Alteration of the ridges began within 1 hr after implantation into the chick coelom. Ridges were completely lost by the 4th hr, leaving a smooth tegument. Body shape altered from that of a tapered metacercaria to a plump, rounded adult within 3 days, and was accompanied by doubling of the acetabular diameter. Papillae, present in both the metacercaria and adult, were located on the suckers, genital orifice, and body surface. The microtopography of the tegument consisted of knoblike protuberances that gave the surface a cobblestonelike appearance. Tegumental knobs in te vicinity of the genital pore contained minute, rounded inclusions.