A multidisciplinary approach to the systematics of Proteocephalus macrocephalus (Creplin, 1825) (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae)

The tapeworm Proteocephalus macrocephalus (Creplin, 1825), a parasite of the eel Anguilla anguilla, was characterised using morphological and genetic characters. The species is morphologically typified mainly by features of the scolex (i.e. shape and size of an apical organ which is formed early during the development in an intermediate host) and strobila (i.e. regularly rectangular proglottides, morphology of the vagina and anterior position of the seminal receptacle). Genetically, P. macrocephalus was compared with two congeners, P. percae and P. exiguus. Characters enabling differentiation of P. macrocephalus were as follows: fixed allelic differences at Got, Pgm and Gapdh loci, metrical features of chromosomes Nos 1, 2 and 7, and species-specific fragments obtained by RAPD method using 13 random primers.