NEW HOST AND LOCALITY RECORD OF Paryphostomum radiatum (DUJARDIN, 1845) (TREMATODES: ECHINOSTOMATIDAE) FROM PAKISTAN

The purpose of present paper is to report a new host and locality record of a cosmopolitan trematode Paryphostomum radiatum. Present work is part of helminthic study on Little cormorant of Sanghar, Sindh, Pakistan. During this study, 300 trematodes belonging to genus Paryphostomum were collected from intestines of five little cormorants (Phalacrocorax niger). The eleven hosts were dissected and samples were examined under binocular stereomicroscope and collected specimens were processed according to method described by Schmidt and Garcia. On the basis of shape and size of body and head collar; number of head collar spines; shape and position of testes, ovary and cirrus sac and distribution of vitellaria, these trematodes were identified as Paryphostomum radiatum (Dujardin, 1845). The Paryphostomum radiatumis reported for the first time from Phalacrocorax niger in the world. However, P. radiatum is extensively reported from other species of genus Phalacrocorax and family Phalacrocoracidae of Class Aves. It is being recorded for first time from Pakistan. Therefore, Phalacrocorax niger is new host and Pakistan is new locality record for Paryphostomum radiatum.