Schistocephalus solidus
also known as: stickleback tapeworm, Schistocephalus
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Schistocephalus solidus is a tapeworm that requires three hosts in its life cycle: fish, birds and copepods. Sticklebacks become infected after eating an infected copepod. Within the fish, the worms can grow very large and consume a lot of oxygen from the host, causing it to swim up to oxygen-rich surface waters. When the fish swims up to the surface, it is more likely to be eaten by a bird, which is the parasite's next host. This is a good example of how a parasite can alter the host's behavior for its own purposes: The change in host behavior improves the chances of the parasite life cycle being completed. |
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Distribution:
Hosts: threespine stickleback
Northern temperate regions - same as its fish host
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Detection Method:
gross pathology / gross clinical signs Target tissue:
Resides in body cavity References: |