Insights at morphological features of Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 (Nematoda: Anisakidae) as revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM)

Abstract

The present study provides morphological description of adults (male and female) of Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 collected from the proventriculus and ventriculus of the cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) in Iraq using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing the structures of cephalic extremity of the nematode, labium, interlabium, papillae in the dorsal labium, the morphology of caudal papillae in male, phasmids, the shape of the tip of spicule which considers as a characteristic feature of this species. A comparison with previous studies is provided.