Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 14, 2026

Lecanicephaloidea

Lecanicephaloidea is an order of tapeworms of the subclass Cestoda. Species in the order consist of intestinal parasites of elasmobranch fishes.

Last revised
Jun 14, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
263 w
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3
Source
Lecanicephaloidea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Cestoda
Subclass: Eucestoda
Order: Lecanicephaloidea
Families
  • Aberrapecidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Cephalobothriidae Pintner, 1928
  • Eniochobothriidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Lecanicephalidae Braun, 1900
  • Paraberrapecidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Polypocephalidae Meggitt, 1924
  • Tetragonocephalidae Yamaguti, 1959
  • Zanobatocestidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016

Plus Lecanicephalidea incertae sedis; see text

Lecanicephaloidea is an order of tapeworms of the subclass Cestoda. Species in the order consist of intestinal parasites of elasmobranch fishes.1

Anatomy

The order is distinguished in that the scolex consists of two parts. The lower half forms a neck bearing four small suckers. The upper half is either globular or tentacle-bearing, and shows glandular structures.2 The anatomy of the order is similar to that of the Proteocephaloidea.

Taxonomy

The order currently contains the following families, according to WoRMS:3

  • Aberrapecidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Cephalobothriidae Pintner, 1928
  • Eniochobothriidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Lecanicephalidae Braun, 1900
  • Paraberrapecidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016
  • Polypocephalidae Meggitt, 1924
  • Tetragonocephalidae Yamaguti, 1959
  • Zanobatocestidae Jensen, Caira, Cielocha, Littlewood & Waeschenbach, 2016

Additionally, the order contains the following accepted incertae sedis genera:

  • Corrugatocephalum Caira, Jensen & Yamane, 1997
  • Healyum Jensen, 2001
  • Quadcuspibothrium Jensen, 2001

The order additionally contains several genera that are considered to be taxa inquirenda:

  • Calycobothrium Stiles & Hassall, 1912
  • Kystocephalus Shipley & Hornell, 1906
  • Sephenicephalum Shinde, Sarwade & Jadhav, 1980 or 1982
  • Staurobothrium Shipley & Hornell, 1905
  • Trygonicephalum Shinde & Jadhav, 1985
References

References

  1. "Order Lecanicephaloidea". Taxonomicon.
  2. Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. McGraw-Hill.
  3. WoRMS (2023). Lecanicephalidea. Accessed 2023-06-17.