Ancylostomatoidea Structure and Function
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This article is still under construction. |
Scientific Classification
General Appearance
The superfamily Ancylostomatoidea contains the 'hookworms', 1-2 cm long bursate nematodes which, together with the strongyles and trichostronglyes, belong to the order Strongylida.
Unlike the rest of the strongyles, the head is bent dorsally so that the buccal cavity to form the characteristic 'hook'. Members of the family have large buccal cavities which often contain teeth and cutting plates to allow the adult worms to embed their heads deeply into the mucosa of the small intestine. The large buccal cavity can be easily identified under the microscope and the configuration of teeth and cutting plates can be used to identify individual species.
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Nematoda |
Class | Secernentea |
Order | Strongylida |
Superfamily | Ancylostomatoidea |
Family | Ancylostomatidae |