Gigantorhynchus

• Gigantorhynchus is a genus of Acanthocephala (thorny-
headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms) that 
parasitize marsupials, anteaters, and possibly baboons by
attaching themselves to the intestines using their hook-covered 
proboscis. The life cycle includes an egg stage found in host
feces, a cystacanth (larval) stage in an intermediate host such
as termites, and an adult stage where cystacanths mature in the
intestines of the host. This genus is characterized by a
cylindrical proboscis with a crown of robust hooks at the apex
followed by numerous small hooks on the rest of the proboscis,
• a long body with pseudosegmentation, filiform lemnisci, and
ellipsoid testes. The largest specimen is a female G. ortizi with
a length of around 240 millimetres (9.4 in) and a width of 2
millimetres (0.08 in). Genetic analysis on one species
of Gigantorhynchus places it with the related
genus Mediorhynchus in the family Gigantorhynchidae. Six
species in this genus are distributed across Central and South
America and possibly Zimbabwe. Infestation by
a Gigantorhynchus species may cause partial obstructions of
the intestines, severe lesions of the intestinal wall, and may
lead to death.
• a long body with pseudosegmentation, filiform lemnisci, and
ellipsoid testes. The largest specimen is a female G. ortizi with
a length of around 240 millimetres (9.4 in) and a width of 2
millimetres (0.08 in). Genetic analysis on one species
of Gigantorhynchus places it with the related
genus Mediorhynchus in the family Gigantorhynchidae. Six
species in this genus are distributed across Central and South
America and possibly Zimbabwe. Infestation by
a Gigantorhynchus species may cause partial obstructions of
the intestines, severe lesions of the intestinal wall, and may
lead to death.
• a long body with pseudosegmentation, filiform lemnisci, and
ellipsoid testes. The largest specimen is a female G. ortizi with
a length of around 240 millimetres (9.4 in) and a width of 2
millimetres (0.08 in). Genetic analysis on one species
of Gigantorhynchus places it with the related
genus Mediorhynchus in the family Gigantorhynchidae. Six
species in this genus are distributed across Central and South
America and possibly Zimbabwe. Infestation by
a Gigantorhynchus species may cause partial obstructions of
the intestines, severe lesions of the intestinal wall, and may
lead to death.
There are six valid species in the genus Gigantorhynchus,[3][7] although one species out of the six, G. pesteri, appears to be incorrectly assigned.[2]
•Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851)[8][f]
G. echinodiscus is a tropical parasite of anteaters including the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), the southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) and the silky anteater
 (Cyclopes didactylus).[2] It has been found in Brazil,[2] Venezuela,[9] Panama,[10] and Trinidad Island.[11] Intermediate hosts include two species of termites from Brazil (
Labiotermes emersoni and Orthognathotermes heberi).[12] It is the first species to be described in the genus Gigantorhynchus and is the of type species.[3]
• Morphological traits used to distinguish the species include a
cylindrical proboscis with a crown having eighteen large hooks
followed by 21 to 23 small rootless spines arranged in two
longitudinal rows. The first row has six hooks measuring
between 0.16 and 0.23 mm from the tip of the hook to the root.
The second row has twelve hooks in pairs which are smaller
than first row measuring between 0.18 and 0.19 mm from
•Gigantorhynchus lopezneyrai Diaz-ungria, 1958[9]
G. lopezneyrai has been found parasitizing the Southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) in Venezuela.[2] The trunk is slightly segmented and no female measurements were taken
in its original description. There are twelve hooks on the proboscis (4 in the first circle each around 0.235 mm long, and 8 in the second circle each around 0.106 mm long). The eight
cement glands are organized in pairs.[2] Amato (2014) raised doubts about the validity of this species suggesting that the hook number and arrangement is an incorrect observation that
needs to be revisited as no drawings of the proboscis showing the hook formation was published.[12] This species is named in honour of Carlos Rodríguez López-Neyra de Gorgot, a
Spanish parasitologist.[9]
•Gigantorhynchus lutzi Machado, 1941[13]
G. lutzi has been found parasitising a Bare-tailed woolly opossum (Caluromys philander) in Pará, Brazil[2] and infesting the small intestine of the Common opossum (Didelphis
marsupialis) in Huanuco, Peru.[14] It was the second species in the genus Gigantorhynchus to be described. The body is ringed with no complete segmentation. There are twelve hooks
on the proboscis including six in the first circle each measuring 0.285 by 0.165 mm, and six in the second circle measuring 0.225 by 0.135 mm. The eight cement glands are organized
in pairs.[2]
• Gigantorhynchus species infest marsupials and myrmecophagids (anteaters) in Central
 and South America and possibly a baboon from Africa.[2] They are found in the
intestines.[20] Cystacanths, the larval state of an Acanthocephalan, of G.
echinodiscus were found in the hemocoels of soldier termites, the intermediate host.
Termites infested with G. echinodiscus show head shape abnormalities and
discolouration. Although worker termites feed directly on the feces of the final host (the
location of the eggs of G. echinodiscus) it is not known why they are not infected with
cystacanths or how they pass the eggs on to the soldiers where they develop into
cystocanths. The giant anteater diet consists almost entirely of termites and the
cystacanths from consumed termites mature and reproduce in the intestines of the host
and the eggs are then passed in the feces. There are no paratenic hosts (hosts where
parasites infest but do not undergo larval development or sexual reproduction) involved
in the life cycle of G. echinodiscus.[12] Infestation of the giant anteater can cause at
least partial obstructions of the intestines, severe lesions of the intestinal wall, and may
lead to death.[21]