Motility of Fasciola hepatica miracidia assessed with a computer-assisted sperm analyser

The motility parameters of Fasciola hepatica miracidia were assessed at different temperatures and times post-hatching using computer-assisted sperm analysis. Eggs were incubated at 22 °C or 25 °C for 14 days. Five motion parameters were evaluated at different incubation temperatures up to 10 h post-hatching. No differences were observed in the percentage that hatched after incubation at the two different temperatures. However, the straight-line velocity of miracidia following incubation at 22 °C was significantly different from that observed at 25 °C (P< 0.01). All miracidium motion parameters at different post-hatching temperatures showed an overall decrease at the end of the experiment. Those miracidia hatching from eggs incubated at 25 °C had a higher velocity of 1673.3 μm/s compared with 1553.3 μm/s at 22 °C. Velocity parameters increased as the post-hatching temperature increased from 22 °C to 37 °C.