#dicyemida

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Dicyemida

(Sources - 1, 2, 3)

Another small phylum of parasites, Dicyemida contains microscopic animals that range from 0.5 to 7 millimetres long and live in the renal appendages of cephalopods.

Dicyemids lack respiratory, circulatory, excretory, digestive, and nervous systems, and consist of a single axial cell surrounded by twenty to thirty ciliated cells. Unlike many other parasites, they don’t seem to be picky about which species they infest, and dicyemids of multiple different species can often be found infesting the same host. Yet, two individuals of the same species can rarely coexist in the same host. This seems to indicate that different species of dicyemids occupy different niches within their cephalopod host. Species are generally differentiated by the shape of their calotte, the region of the animal that is used to attached to the host. Different calotte shapes determine where in the renal appendage the dicyemid can comfortably live.

How do you feel about this phylum?

One or more of my favorite animals is in this phylum

I love one or more of these animals

I like one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

I hate all of these animals

Voting ended onSep 16, 2024

Propaganda under the cut:

The fact that dicyemids do great sharing space with other species of dicyemid, but not with their own species, gives them a certain “I prefer animals over people” and I love that for them

It’s just nice to know that even octopodes can get worms. No one is safe from parasites, and I think that’s beautiful.

That being said, though, dicyemids don’t seem to do any damage to their hosts. They just kinda chill inside them. In fact, dicyemids may actually help the cephalopod by absorbing harmful metabolic waste products and improving the flow of urine through the kidney!

Th

They

They in that octopussy

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 1

🦠 DICYEMIDA vs. CHAETOGNATHA 🪱

Dicyemida

Chaetognatha

Voting ended onJan 28, 2024

Dicyemida (Rhombozoa): A small phylum of wormlike parasites specialized to live in the kidneys of cephalopods. While its evolutionary relationships are still being debated, it is believed that they are closely related to Orthonectida. They reproduce asexually in their host until they reach a certain population density, at which point new larvae will grow into an adult form that will reproduce sexually.

Chaetognatha: Arrow Worms. Widespread marine animals, Chaetognaths can be described as the "apex predators" of the plankton. Despite their microscopic size, their muscle movements are some of the fastest in the animal kingdom. All Chaetognaths are ambush predators, feeding on small zooplankton and even fish and crustacean larvae. Some utilize neurotoxins to paralyze their prey after capture in their spiny jaws.

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Spiralia

Dicyemida. This phylum is made of tiny parasites that live in the kidneys of cephalopods

Monoblastozoa. This phylum of animals has only one member, Salinella salve, which was only ever described in the 1890s and hasn't been found since.

Which clade of animals is better?

Dicyemida

Monoblastozoa

Show results

Voting ended onFeb 5, 2024

[parakaryote]

This is old stuff, the posts I'm referring to are no longer getting notes, but I should still say this.

In the past, I've claimed that dicyemids have alternation of generations. This is not true. I badly misunderstood their density-dependent reproductive cycle when I was reading about them. After posting this, I'll go back to edit the relevant posts.

[gltzgghln]

30-day phyla challenge day 5: dicyemida it’s called kummerspeck and it’s an art form

[carpcave]

Phyla challenge Day 5 - Dicyemida

[ink-in-hand]

30 Day Phyla Challenge: Day 5

Another one I spent way way too much time one. Took the Osmosis Jones influence for this one, and since the Dicyemida has octopi for hosts the white blood cell has an octopus mer look to them. Though I don’t think they got the memo that these giants are not of the harmful parasite persuasion.

Tomorrow needs to be simpler for my sanity.

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Phylum: Rhombozoa

...Also known as Dicyemida rhombozoa is a phylum of small parasites that live inside the kidneys of cephalopods. Dicyemids exist in two forms, asexual and sexual, juveniles tend to be asexual and adults tend to be sexual. Asexual individuals (called nematogens) produce vermiform larvae within the axial cell. These larvae mature to form more nematogens which will reproduce and fill the kidney. As the larvae age (or the nematogens reach a certain density) they will mature to form rhombogens (the sexual stage). Rhombogens contain gonads (called infusorigens) these infusorigens self-fertilize to produce infusoriform larvae. These larvae are distinct in that they swim around with cilliated rings that look like headlights. These larvae ultimately get released when the host eliminates urine from the kidneys, it is thought that these larvae are both the dispersal and the infectious stage. However the method of infection remains unknown, as are the effects of dicyemids on their hosts.

Phylogeny

Animalia-(mesozoa)-Rhombozoa

Images: Chelsealwood and I.Livingstone