Moniliformidae is a family of parasitic spiny-headed (or thorny-headed) worms. It is the only family in the Moniliformida order and contains three genera: Australiformis containing a single species, Moniliformis containing eighteen species and Promoniliformis containing a single species. Genetic analysis have determined that the clade is monophyletic despite being distributed globally. These worms primarily parasitize mammals, including humans in the case of Moniliformis moniliformis, and occasionally birds by attaching themselves into the intestinal wall using their hook-covered proboscis. The intermediate hosts are mostly cockroaches. The distinguishing features of this order among archiacanthocephalans is the presence of a cylindrical proboscis with long rows of hooks with posteriorly directed roots and proboscis retractor muscles that pierce both the posterior and ventral end or just posterior end of the receptacle. Infestation with Monoliformida species can cause moniliformiasis, an intestinal condition characterized as causing lesions, intestinal distension, perforated ulcers, enteritis, gastritis, crypt hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and blockages.
Species of the family Moniliformidae are usually pseudosegmented and have a cylindrical proboscis with longitudinal rows of hooks that have posteriorly directed roots. Moniliformidae are further characterized by the presence of a simple, double-walled proboscis receptacle with the outer wall having spirally aligned muscle fibers (with the exception of Australiformis), brain at posterior end of receptacle, and dorsal and ventral lacunar canals.[2][3] The proboscis retractor muscles pierce both the posterior and ventral end or just posterior end of the receptacle.[4] The cerebral ganglion is in the mid to posterior region, and the lemnisci are long and flat and not bound to the body wall. These worms also lack protonephridia and males have eight cement glands, each with a giant nucleus, which are used to temporarily close the posterior end of the female after copulation.[2][3][5] Genetic analysis has been conducted on four species: Moniliformis moniliformis, M. saudi, M. cryptosaudi and M. kalahariensis.[6][7] Based on these results, Moniliformidae has been determined to be monophyletic.[6][7]
Archiacanthocephala Archiacanthocephala Oligacanthorhynchidae Moniliformidae GigantorhynchidaMediorhynchus sp.
Phylogenetic reconstruction for select species in the class Archiacanthocephala[8][9]There are three genera and twenty living species in the order Moniliformida.[6][10][11][a]
The genus Australiformis Schmidt and Edmonds, 1989 was created for Moniliformis semoni as this species differed from other species in Moniliformis and the other genus of the family Moniliformidae, Promoniliformis, because it lacked spiral muscles in the outer wall of the proboscis receptacle.[2] The genus Australiformis is named after Australia, the locality of the species. There is only one species, Australiformis semoni (von Linstow, 1898){{#tag:ref|The history of the genus of A. semoni is complex. It was originally named Echinorhynchus semoni by von Linstow in 1898,[12] in this genus and is thus the type species.[10]
The genus Moniliformis Travassos, 1915 contains eighteen species. Description of the genus is the same as the family Moniliformidae with the exception of possessing spiral muscles in the outer wall of the proboscis receptacle[2] and a single distinct kind of proboscis hooks.[13]
The genus Promoniliformis Dollfus and Golvan, 1963[20] is characterized by possessing two distinct kinds of proboscis hooks.[13] There is only one species in this genus.
P. ovocristatus has been found parasitizing tenrecs in Madagascar[21] including the tailless tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus) and the lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi). The largest female was 222 mm long and 1.1 to 1.5 mm wide whereas the largest male was much smaller at 65 mm long and 0.85 to 1 mm wide. There is no pseudosegmentation as seen in Moniliformis species. The proboscis is 0.550 mm long and 0.250 to 0.300 mm wide at the widest point. The proboscis contains 20 to 24 longitudinal rows of 8 to 10 hooks each with the 4 or 5 superior hooks being large and possessing well-developed roots whereas the 4 or 5 inferior hooks are small and have reduced roots. The receptacle measures 0.550 to 0.650 mm long with a maximum width of 0.125 mm. It is the type species.[20]
Moniliformidae species are found in the intestines parasitizing mammals and occasionally birds.[4] Intermediate hosts are mostly cockroaches but also other insect groups.[6] Infestation can cause moniliformiasis, which is characterized as lesions in the intestines, intestinal distension, perforated ulcers, enteritis, crypt hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and occlusions of the intestinal tract in the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).[22]
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The Southern brown bandicoot is a host for Australiformis semoni
The Cairo spiny mouse is a host of Moniliformis acomysi
The four-toed jerboa is a host of Moniliformis aegyptiacus
The North African hedgehog is a host of Moniliformis aegyptiacus
The cotton-top tamarins is a host of Moniliformis clarki
The large flying fox is a host of Moniliformis convolutus
The long-eared hedgehog is a host of Moniliformis cryptosaudi
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The moonrat is a host of Moniliformis echinosorexi
The giant anteater is a host of Moniliformis monoechinus
The desert hedgehog is a host of Moniliformis saudi
The brown rat is a host of M. siciliensis and Moniliformis travassosi
The garden dormouse is a host of M. siciliensis
The black rat is a host of Moniliformis spiralis
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The Horsfield's tarsier is a host of Moniliformis tarsii
Promoniliformis ovocristatus is a parasite of the tailless tenrec
Promoniliformis ovocristatus is a parasite of the lesser hedgehog tenrec
Moniliformidae is a family of parasitic spiny-headed (or thorny-headed) worms. It is the only family in the Moniliformida order and contains three genera: Australiformis containing a single species, Moniliformis containing eighteen species and Promoniliformis containing a single species. Genetic analysis have determined that the clade is monophyletic despite being distributed globally. These worms primarily parasitize mammals, including humans in the case of Moniliformis moniliformis, and occasionally birds by attaching themselves into the intestinal wall using their hook-covered proboscis. The intermediate hosts are mostly cockroaches. The distinguishing features of this order among archiacanthocephalans is the presence of a cylindrical proboscis with long rows of hooks with posteriorly directed roots and proboscis retractor muscles that pierce both the posterior and ventral end or just posterior end of the receptacle. Infestation with Monoliformida species can cause moniliformiasis, an intestinal condition characterized as causing lesions, intestinal distension, perforated ulcers, enteritis, gastritis, crypt hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and blockages.
