Scolex with single apical sucker. Strobila short, anapolytic to hyperapolytic. Testes numerous, in previtelline medulla. Cirrus-sac present; genital pore nearly marginal, in anterior part of proglottid. Ovary postvitelline. Vitellarium composed of 2 symmetrical lobes. Vagina opens posterior to cirrus-sac. Uterus medullary, may fill medulla; uterine pore lacking. Eggs with 3 shells.
About 6 nominal species in 2 genera.
Molecular and morphological studies indicate that this order is closely related to the Cyclophyllidea and Tetrabothriidea.
Freshwater fishes.
Intestine.
Palaearctic Asia (China, Japan, Russia), Europe (imported – Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine), New Zealand.
With a single intermediate host, usually a copepod. Single apical sucker present in earliest known life-cycle stages.
Selected References:
Hine P. M. 1977. New species of Nippotaenia and Amurotaenia (Cestoda: Nippotaeniidae) from New Zealand freshwater fishes. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 7 (2): 143-155. PDF
Bray, R. A. 1994. Order Nippotaeniidea Yamaguti, 1939. pp. 253-255. In Khalil, L. F., Jones, A., Bray, R. A. (Eds.) Keys to the cestode parasites of vertebrates. CAB International, Wallingford, U.K.
Olson, P. D., D. T. J. Littlewood, R. A. Bray, and J. Mariaux. 2001. Interrelationships and evolution of the tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 19: 443-447.
Taxon Coordinator:
Dr. Roman Kuchta
Institute of Parasitology
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Branisovská 31
370 05 Ceské Budejovice
Czech Republic
PHONE: ++420-38- 53-10-351
E-MAIL: krtek@paru.cas.cz
