Acanthocephala families

Echinorhynchidae, from Ancient Greek ἐχῖνος (ekhînos), meaning "hedgehog", and ῥύγχος (rhúnkhos), meaning "snout", is a family of acanthocephalan parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida. The adult worms live in the intestines of fishes, amphibians and reptiles. The family contains the following genera, organised by subfamily. Circinatechinorhynchinae Bhattacharya, 2007 Circinatechinorhynchus Bhattacharya, 2007 Echinorhynchinae Cobbold, 1879 Acanthocephalus Koelreuther, 1771 Brasacanthus Thatcher, 2001 Echinorhynchus Zoega in Müller, 1776 Frilloechinorhynchus Bhattacharya, 2007 Solearhyn

Quadrigyridae is the only family within Gyracanthocephala, an order of parasitic worms of class Eoacanthocephala. This family contains two subfamilies, ten genera and about 92 species.

Oligacanthorhynchida is an order containing a single parasitic worm family, Oligacanthorhynchidae, that attach themselves to the intestinal wall of terrestrial vertebrates.

Neoechinorhynchidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Neoechinorhynchida.

The thorny-headed worm family Polymorphidae contains endoparasites which as adults feed mainly in fish and aquatic birds. When this taxon was erected by Meyer in 1931, a subfamily Polymorphinae was established in it. As the Polymorphidae as presently understood would then be monotypic, with no basal genera outside the Polymorphinae, the proposed subfamily is redundant for the time being and therefore most modern treatments simply omit it. Polymorphus minutus is an economically significant parasite in goose and duck farming.

Tenuisentidae is a family of parasitic spiny-headed (or thorny-headed) worms. The family contains two genera, each with one species.

Plagiorhynchidae is a family of parasitic Acanthocephalan worms.

Diplosentidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida. ==Taxonomy==

Cavisomidae are a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.

Heteracanthocephalidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.

Leptorhynchoididae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.

Pomphorhynchidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.

Moniliformidae is a family of parasitic spiny-headed (or thorny-headed) worms. It is the only family in the Moniliformida order and contains three genera: Australiformis containing a single species, Moniliformis containing eighteen species and Promoniliformis containing a single species. Genetic analysis have determined that the clade is monophyletic despite being distributed globally. These worms primarily parasitize mammals, including humans in the case of Moniliformis moniliformis, and occasionally birds by attaching themselves into the intestinal wall using their hook-covered proboscis. Th

Arhythmacanthidae is a family of parasitic worms from the order Echinorhynchida.

thumb|right|Cathayacanthus spinitruncatus thumb|right|SEM of Rhadinorhynchus oligospinosus thumb|right|SEM of Rhadinorhynchus oligospinosus thumb|right|SEM of Rhadinorhynchus oligospinosus thumb|right|Posterior trunk of a female Cathayacanthus spinitruncatus

Gigantorhynchida is an order containing a single family, Gigantorhynchidae of Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms, also known as spiny-headed worms) that parasitize vertebrates by attaching themselves to the intestinal wall of their host. There are over 60 species classified into three genera in Gigantorhynchida: Gigantorhynchus, Intraproboscis, and Mediorhynchus.

Centrorhynchidae is a family of parasitic worms. Three species of these thorny-headed worms in the genus Centrorhynchus were found to parasitize birds of prey and owls Slovakia. These hosts include Buteo buteo, Buteo rufinus, Falco tinnunculus, Asio otus, Strix aluco, Strix uralensis and Tyto alba.

Sphaerirostris is a genus of parasitic worms belonging to the family Centrorhynchidae.

Leptorhynchoides is a genus of parasitic worms belonging to the family Rhadinorhynchidae.

REDIRECT Apororhynchus

REDIRECT Dendronucleata