Marsupiobothrium gobelinus

Marsupiobothrium gobelinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Cestoda
Order:	Tetraphyllidea
Genus:	Marsupiobothrium
Species:	M. gobelinus
Binomial name
Marsupiobothrium gobelinus Caira & Runkle, 1782

Marsupiobothrium gobelinus is a tapeworm with an unknown taxonomic affinity.

It can easily be distinguished from the other members of its family by its bothridial peduncles, longer in comparison to other family members. Its lacks arcuate cylindrical pads on the posterior bothridial margins. The tapeworm has a marginal, distinct apical scolex rather than a submarginal, diffuse apical sucker on each bothridium.

This species was first described (along with Litobothrium amsichensis) from a specimen collected from the spiral valve digestive organ of a goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) caught in New South Wales in Australia.^[1]

References

1. ^ Caira, J. N.; L. S. Runkle (October 1993). "Two new tapeworms from the goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni off Australia". Systematic Parasitology (Springer Netherlands) 26 (2): 81–90. doi:10.1007/BF. ISSN 1573-5192 00009215. http://www.springerlink.com/content/41t78082u2751617/. Retrieved 2007-02-10.