Phylum DICYEMIDA Van Beneden, 1876
Mesozoans
Compiler and date details
2012 - ABRS
- Mesozoa.
Introduction
Representatives of the Phylum Dicyemida were known previously as Mesozoa, being descriptive of their uncertain affinities with protozoans and metazoans. They are small, multicellular internal parasites, some of which are found in the renal passages of various cephalopods.The first records from Australian waters were a single report of an inidentified species from cephalopods (Finn et al. 2005). Catalano (2012) reviewed families, genera and species of Dicyemida, but as yet no species are described from Australia.
General References
Catalano, S.R. 2012. A review of the families, genera and species of Dicyemida Van Beneden, 1876. Zootaxa 3479: 1–32
Finn, J.K., Hochberg, F.G. & Norman, M.D. 2005. Phylum Dicyemida in Australian waters: first record and distribution across diverse cephalopod hosts. Phuket Marine Biological Center, Research Bulletin 66: 83–96