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Abstract
A total of 440 specimens of Asellus aquaticus were collected from the River Brenta (northern Italy) in a single sampling in August 1992, and examined for larval helminth parasites. From the hemocoels of 14 (3.1%) individuals of A. aquaticus, 17 acanthocephalan larvae were removed: of these 15 were well‐developed cystacanths of Acanthocephalus anguillae (a new geographical recording for cystacanth); not more than two larvae were found in a single host. The sex‐ratio among the parasitized isopods was approximately 1:1. In more than 64% of infected A. aquaticus, the integumental pigmentation was darker than that of non‐parasitized individuals. Infected isopods were never observed in amplexus, and one parasitized female specimen carried 50 eggs in its brood pouch. In hosts with well‐developed cystacanths, the displacement of isopod internal organs, such as the alimentary canal, was observed.
