Family. Fasciolidæ, Raill., 1895.
Sub-family. Fasciolinæ, Odhner, 1910.
Genus. Fasciola, L., 1758.
The ventral sucker is situated at the level of the junction of the cone with the body, viz., at the level of the “shoulder,” and is large and powerful. The cuticle is covered with strong spines; the gut cæca run in the mid-line to the hind end, and are provided with numerous long lateral and fewer and shorter median branches. The ovary lies on one side in front of the transverse vitelline duct; the testes lie obliquely one behind the other. The uterus, in the shape of a rosette, lies in front of the genitalia. Laurer’s canal is present; the vesicula seminalis lies in the cirrus pouch; the ova are large, not very numerous, and only develop after they have been deposited. Parasites of the biliary ducts of herbivorous animals.
Fasciola hepatica, L., 1758.
Syn.: Distomum hepaticum, Retz., 1786; Fasciola Humana, Gmel., 1789; Distomum caviæ, Sons., 1890; Cladocœlium hepaticum, Stoss., 1892.
Fig. 139.—Fasciola hepatica, L. From a specimen that is not yet mature, showing the gut and its branches. 5/1.
Length 20 to 30 mm., breadth 8 to 13 mm., cephalic cone 4 to 5 mm. in length and sharply differentiated from the body by a shoulder on each side. Spines in alternating transverse rows and extending on the ventral surface to the posterior border of the testes, and on the dorsal surface not quite so far. The spines are smaller on the cephalic cone than on the posterior part of the body, where they are discernible with the naked eye. The suckers are hemispherical, and near each other; the oral sucker is about 1 mm. and the ventral sucker about 1·6 mm. in diameter. The pharynx, which includes almost the entire œsophagus, measures 0·7 mm. in length and 0·4 mm. in breadth. The intestine bifurcates at the limit of the cephalic cone and the branches are even here furnished with diverticula directed outwardly. The ovary is ramified and situated in front of the transverse vitelline duct, usually on the right side; the shell gland lies near the ovary in the median line; posterior to the transverse vitelline ducts are the greatly ramified testes, which occupy the greater portion of the posterior part of the body, with the exception of the lateral and posterior border; the long vasa efferentia only unite as they enter the cirrus pouch. The vitellaria occupy the sides of the posterior part of the body, commencing at the level of the ventral sucker and uniting behind the testes. The ova are yellowish-brown, oval, operculated, 130 µ to 145 µ in length, 70 µ to 90 µ in breadth (average size 132 µ by 70 µ).