THE NUTRITION OF A MONOGENEAN, ANCYROCEPHALUS MOGURNDA GUSSEV PARASITIC ON GILIS OF THE MANDARIN FISH, SINIPERCA CHUATSI(BASILEWSKY)

The ingested food materials and energy stores were examined in the monogenean,Ancyrocephalus mogurndae Gussev parasitic on gills of the mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi (Basilewsky). Mucus and blood were ingested and found inside intestines of the parasites, as shown by benzidine nitroprusside peroxidase method and by Periodic acid Schiff reaction respectively. Whether A. mogurndae feeds on gill tissues of the host require further investigations although cell residuals found inside the intestines may indicate the possible ingestion of the gill filaments. Numerous globules of lipids and small glycogen deposits were found in the parasites, implying that aerobic metabolism is present in A. mogurndae and may function as a major source of energy supply for the monogenean.