He. 16 Ascaridia galli

 Kingdom         - Animalia

            Phylum            - Nematoda

            Class                - Chromadorea

            Order               - Ascaridida

            Family             - Ascarididae

            Genus              - Ascaridia

            Species             - Ascaridia galli

 

Common name: Round worm

Characters:

            Ascaridia galli is a parasitic roundworm belonging to the phylum Nematoda. Nematodes of the genus Ascaridia are essentially intestinal parasites of birds. A. galli is the most prevalent and pathogenic species, especially in domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus. It causes ascaridiasis, a disease of poultry due to heavy worm infection, particularly in chickens and turkeys. It inhabits the small intestine, and can be occasionally seen in commercial eggs.

It is the largest nematode in birds, with females measuring 72 to 112 mm long. The body is semitransparent, creamy-white, and cylindrical. The anterior end is characterized by a prominent mouth, which is surrounded by three large, trilobed lips. The edges of the lips bear teeth-like denticles. The body is entirely covered with a thick proteinaceous structure called cuticle. The cuticle is striated transversely through the length of the body and cuticular alae are poorly developed. Two conspicuous papillae are situated on the dorsal lip and one on each of the subventral lips. These papillae are the sensory organs of the nematode.