Family PHYLLOBOTHRIIDAE Braun, 1900
Introduction
The Phyllobothriidae are an exceptionally large family of tetraphyllidean cestodes characterised by the presence of four often highly modified bothridia with crenulate margins or numerous internal loculi (Euzet, 1994). The family is almost certainly polyphyletic (Caira et al. 1999, 2001).
Only a small number of Australian representatives of this family have been described. Large numbers of undescribed species are present in the collections of the South Australin Museum.
General References
Caira, J.N., Jensen, K. & Healy, C.J. 1999. On the phylogenetic relationships among tetraphyllidean, lecanicephalidean and diphyllidean tapeworm genera. Systematic Parasitology 42: 77-151
Caira, J.N., Jensen, K. & Healy, C.J. 2001. Interrelationships among tetraphyllidean and lecanicephalidean cestodes. pp. 135-138 in Littlewood, D.J.T. & Bray, R.A. (eds). Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes. London, UK : The Systematics Association, Taylor & Francis 356 pp.
Euzet, L. 1994. Order Tetraphyllidea Carus, 1863. pp. 149-194 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.