Family HEPATOXYLIDAE Dollfus, 1940
Introduction
The Hepatoxylidae contains a single genus Hepatoxylon, characterised by a large muscular scoles with pairs of bothridia deeply embedded within it and surrounded by a thickened rim. The tentacular armature is homeoacanthous and homeomorphous. The genital organs are paired (Campbell & Beveridge 1994).
Both of the known species belonging to this genus have been found in Australian waters as parasites of the white pointer, Carcharadon carcharias (Beveridge & Campbell 1996). The larval stages (post-larvae) occur in a variety of teleost species as well as in small sharks (Beveridge & Campbell 1996). The post-larvae are frequently attached to the liver of their hosts, a site from which the generic name of the parasite is derived.
General References
Beveridge, I. & Campbell, R.A. 1996. New records and descriptions of trypanorhynch cestodes from Australian fishes. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 29: 1-22
Campbell, R.A. & Beveridge, I. 1994. Order Trypanorhyncha Diesing, 1863. pp. 51-148 in Khalil, L.F., Jones, A. & Bray, R.A. (eds). Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates. Wallingford, UK : Commonwealth Agriculture Bureaux International 751 pp.