Therefore, we treat the recovered specimen as a female Gordius sp.

The zig-zag lines have not been reported from any Gordius species yet, but because they were only locally present on the cuticle of the investigated worm we hesitate to evaluate them as species-specific until their presence has been confirmed from further specimens. In all other genera of Nematomorpha, the areoles are much more pronounced and elevated above the cuticular surface. Flat polygonal areoles and fine bristles on the cuticle are known only from species in the genus Gordius (Schmidt-Rhaesa 2009). The determination of species in Nematomorpha is mainly dependent upon the architectural details of cuticle bearing some specific shape and sized elevated structures called as areoles (Schmidt-Rhaesa and Prous 2010). Most of the described nematomorph species belong to the freshwater gordiids, while only 5 species of the genus Nectonema are parasites of marine invertebrates (Schmidt-Rhaesa 2013). The phylum Nematomorpha is comprised of two main groups, the gordiids and nectonematids. One of the recovered specimens was studied by scanning electron microscopy for species determination and findings are discussed. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to systematically identify these worms to species level and throw some light as to how these worms could have been reached in pig meat. Later, these specimens were identified as horsehair worms, but not further determined and reported to be harmless to humans in newspaper (Anonymous 2014).

The news about recovery of these worms from pork was published by a newspaper which increased awareness among people about any potential health hazards associated with infected pig meat (Nongspung 2014). Recently, two worms were reported to have emerged in live condition from pork bought by a consumer from local market in Shillong, India (Nongspung 2014). Although, these worms are the natural parasites of arthropod species, but in many instances their occurrence has also been reported from accidental hosts, such as man, cats, dogs, etc. So far about 360 species of nematomorphs have been described worldwide (Schmidt-Rhaesa 2013), of which only 18 nematomorph species have been reported from India (Schmidt-Rhaesa et al.

The members of this phylum, called as horsehair or gordian worms, are the common parasites of arthropods which leave their host for reproduction and early development in water. The phylum Nematomorhpa comprises of one of three animal phyla specializing fully on a parasitic life style.

Download horsehair nematomorpha