Dracunculus+medinensis

Family: Dracunculidae
=BASIC PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION = ====Dracunculus medinensis is a very long nematode; the longest male ever recorded was 40 mm, and the longest female was approximately __800__ mm! ====

Adult females are usually milky white, slender, and look like a thick thread.
 =HABITAT = ====D. medinensis is found in freshwater lakes and rivers. Their juvenile stages take place in copepods, which are small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. The adult female D. medinensis also inhabits subcutaneous (under the __skin__) tissues in humans, usually in the foot or lower limb. ====

A copepod, which serves as a secondary host to D. medinensis.

=NICHE = The ecological role of dracunculus medinensis is that of a parasite. Mature female worms migrate along subcutaneous tissues to reach the skin above the knee (or other body parts) and form very painful blisters. They are responsible for dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease. = = =ODD = Females can grow up to __800__ mm (31 in). They are responsible for Guinea worm disease. When worms die in joints, it can lead to __arthritis__ and paralysis in the spinal cord.




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