Studies on the Life History of Brachylaimus oesophagei Shaldybin, 1953 (Digenea: Brachylaimidae)

Abstract

1. Brachylaimus oesophagei Shaldybin, 1953 from the common shrew, Sorex araneus castaneus Jenyns is described and compared with that of Shaldybin (1953) and a closely related species B. fulvus Dujardin, 1843.2. Despite unsuccessful attempts in hatching the egg of B. oesophagei, some morphological features of the miracidium are described and compared with previous studies on brachylaimid miracidia. Neither flame cells nor epidermal plates have been observed in miracidia of this family and present observations confirm this.3. A description is given of the cercaria and metacercaria of B. oesophagei from the kidney of the hollowed snail Zonitoides excavatus (Bean) at Aberystwyth, but no sporocysts or cercariae were found in the digestive gland.4. Previous work on brachylaimid life histories is discussed, together with a resumé of the life history of B. oesophagei.