Phylum DICYEMIDA Van Beneden, 1876

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• Mesozoa.

Introduction

Representatives of the Phylum Dicyemida were known previously as Mesozoa, being descriptive of their uncertain affinities with protozoans and metazoans. They are small, multicellular internal parasites, some of which are found in the renal passages of various cephalopods.The first records from Australian waters were a single report of an inidentified species from cephalopods (Finn et al. 2005). Catalano (2012) reviewed families, genera and species of Dicyemida. In 2013 Catalano described the first two Australian species.

General References

Catalano, S.R. 2012. A review of the families, genera and species of Dicyemida Van Beneden, 1876. Zootaxa 3479: 1–32

Catalano, S.R. 2013. Population structure and species of Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) in southern Australian waters as inferred from dicyemid parasite genetics. South Australian Naturalist 87: 30-33 [30]

Finn, J.K., Hochberg, F.G. & Norman, M.D. 2005. Phylum Dicyemida in Australian waters: first record and distribution across diverse cephalopod hosts. Phuket Marine Biological Center, Research Bulletin 66: 83–96

History of changes