Radix auricularia coreana: natural snail host of Clinostomum complanatum in Korea

An epidemiological survey was carried out to determine the first intermediate host of Clinostomum complanatum among freshwater snails in Korea. Two species of snails belonging to the family Lymnaeidae were collected in Kaum-ji (pond), Uisong-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do. Twelve (0.9%) out of 1,273 Radix auricularia coreana examined were found to liberate cercariae of C. complanatum, which were identified by morphological characteristics and experimental infections in freshwater fish. Pseudorasbora parva. The cercariae were brevifurcate and clinostomatoid. They had a transparent dorsal fin, a well developed penetrating organ and a pair of eye spots. The body measured 119-147 x 33-36 microns, tail stem, 275-370 x 19-26 microns, and furcae, 72-104 microns. Rediae were demonstrated in the infected snail after crushing. Redia, 527-1,630 microns long and 121-368 microns wide, contained 10-45 germ balls and cercariae in various developmental stages. The metacercariae recovered from fish experimentally infected with C. complanatum cercariae were morphologically identical to those from naturally infected fish.