Huffmanela

Huffmanela is a genus of parasitic nematodes, belonging to the family Trichosomoididae. As other nematodes, species of Huffmanela are elongate and vermiform. They are especially thin and small. The male is smaller than the female. The stichosome is composed of a single row of stichocytes (glandular cells). The advances eggs contain larvae and have strongly pigmented, dark, often conspicuously thick walls comprising three layers, and polar plugs. Nematodes of the genus Huffmanela are all parasites of fishes. They infect various tissues (skin, mucosa, musculature, swimbladder wall, intestine wall, and even within the bones ) of elasmobranchs (sharks) and bony fishes. The life cycle of the marine species is not known. Females lay eggs in the host's tissues at a very early stage and eggs continue to develop after being laid.Eggs usually occur as masses in the tissues of the hosts, occurring frequently as conspicuous black spots in the flesh or other organs of fish; these black spots may constitute a commercial problem. The life cycle of Huffmanela huffmani, the only species from freshwater, has been elucidated in 2016; it includes amphipods as intermediate hosts.The diagrams shows the steps in the life cycle of Huffmanela huffmani.