Heterophyes heterophyes
...is a parasitic species of Heterophyid trematode that is commonly found in Northern Africa and most of Asia and Indonesia. Adult H. heterophyes will live burrowed between the villi of their host's small intestines, their hosts are typically fish-eating birds and mammals (including humans). H. heterophyes eggs will not hatch until they have been ingested by a snail (usually Pirenella conica in Africa or Cerithidia cingula in Asia) once inside the snails gut the eggs will hatch and become a sporocyst which will produce rediae, which in turn produce cercariae which will exit the snail and swim towards the surface of the water and fall back down. On their way down they will attempt to come in contact with a fish and penetrate their tissue, from here the cercariae will enycst in the muscle tissue until the fish is eaten.
Classification
Animalia-Platyhelminthes-Trematoda-Opisthorchiida-Heterophyidae-Heterophyes-H. heterophyes
Image: Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria team
