Alcataenia longicervica sp. n. from murres, Uria lomvia (Linnaeus) and Uria aalge (Pontoppidan) in the North Pacific basin, with redescriptions of Alcataenia armillaris (Rudolphi, 1810) and Alcataenia meinertzhageni (Baer, 1956) (Cestoda: Dilepididae)

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Author: Hoberg, Eric P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1984
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Pacific; North Atlantic; Uria aalge; Uria lomvia; Alaska; uria
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z84-299; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z84-299

Alcataenia longicervica sp. n. (Cestoda: Dilepididae) is described from murres, Uria spp., in Alaska and other localities in the Pacific basin. From Alcataenia armillaris (Rudolphi, 1810), which it most closely resembles, A. longicervica is distinguished by larger size of organs (cirrus sac, vitelline gland, and seminal receptacle), greater number of testes, and extremely long neck. In specimens of A. longicervica there are 22–27 rostellar hooks distributed in two rows. Hooks in the anterior row measure 41–49 μm in length while those in the posterior are 38–48 μm. Two species of Alcataenia, A. armillaris and A. meinertzhageni (Baer, 1956), both characteristic cestodes of birds of the genus Uria Brisson, are redescribed from material from the North Pacific basin and are compared with descriptions of specimens from the North Atlantic region.