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Abstract
Late cystacanth stages were discovered in the haemocoel of the marine benthic harpacticoid Halectinosoma herdmani (T. & A. Scott, 1896) (Copepoda: Ectinosomatidae) collected off La Rochelle, France. This represents the first record of Acanthocephala infesting marine copepods. On the basis of the hook formula on the proboscis and the spine pattern on the trunk, the parasites were identified as juveniles of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) lizae Orecchia, Paggi & Radujkovic, 1988 (Eoacanthocephala: Gyracanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) which utilizes the golden grey mullet Liza aurata (Risso, 1810) as the definitive host. The literature on acanthocephalans utilizing copepods as intermediate hosts is reviewed and some morphological details of both the cystacanth and host copepod are presented using differential interference contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Halectinosoma porosum Wells, 1967 from Inhaca Island (Mozambique) is formally transferred to Ectinosoma Boeck, 1865 as E. porosum (Wells, 1967) comb. nov.