| Parasite | Liliatrema skrjabini |
|---|---|
| Taxonomy | Plathyhelminthes, Trematoda, Opisthorchiida |
| Host | Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) |
| Infection site | Trunk muscle |
| Clinical sign | A hard black cyst (ca. 2 mm) is observed in the trunk muscle (Fig. 1). |
| Parasitology | A metacercaria inside the cyst is cylindrical and 0.8 x 3.0-3.5 mm in size. This parasite was named after “lily” because of the resemblance of the oral sucker in shape (Fig. 1). Seafowl is a definitive host of this parasite. (Momoyama and Tensha, 2006). |
| Pathology | No report |
| Health hazard | Since this parasite is not infectious to human, it is harmless in food hygiene. |
| Diagnosis | Excise the cyst from the trunk muscle, and observe the morphology of the parasite inside the cyst. |
| Other information | In Japan, this parasite was reported only in Hokkaido and Yamaguchi Prefecture, but the geographical distribution may be more wider. |
| References | Momoyama, K. and K. Tensha (2006): Ugly-looking parasitic infections and
other abnormalities of wild fish and shellfish caught in the coastal or
inland waters around or in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Bull. Yamaguchi Pref. Fish. Res. Ctr.,
4, 143-161. |
(Photos by K. Momoyama)
Fig. 2. Lily-like oral sucker (arrow) of a metacercaria
of Liliatrema.
Fig. 1. Black cysts in the trunk muscle of Korean rockfish..