Cestodes in general have sensory organs in the scolex, which are attached to longitudinal nerves extending down the body. The nerves are attached to organs and the cestodes can detect tactile stimulation.
Communication Channels: tactile
Perception Channels: tactile
Taenia taeniaeformis infects intermediate hosts, including arthropods and vertebrates. The oncosphere, which hatches from an egg, makes up the basic larval stages. First, a rodent, most likely a rat, ingests the egg. The embryo emerges with hooks and uses the hooks to dig into the rat's tissues. They enter the gut and arrive in the liver via the blood. They do not migrate in the liver, but immediately begin developing into strobilocerci, which are housed in cyst-like tissue. From this, the strobilus and bladder are digested, and the scolex attaches to the small intestinal mucosa and matures in the host to become the adult tapeworm.
This tapeworm infests rats and cats, it has no direct importance toward human welfare. If humans are in direct contact with pet/domestic cats, they can possibly become a host for this tapeworm, although this is rare.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (causes disease in humans ); causes or carries domestic animal disease
Taenia taeniaeformis infects mainly rodents and cats. In unusual circumstances, it has been found in humans, but that instance is extremely rare.
Ecosystem Impact: parasite
Species Used as Host:
Taenia taeniaeformis are internal parasites that absorb food through their body surface because they lack a digestive system of their own. Since they are located in the intestines of their host, they take advantage of the already digested food and directly absorb the nutrients. Although not often, the scolex (which bears the suckers) is sometimes able to absorb materials not available to the other body segments, but absorption mainly occurs throughout the segments.
Animal Foods: body fluids
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats body fluids)
Taenia taeniaeformis is found worldwide where suitable hosts are present. It is not specific to any particular region.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic ; palearctic ; oriental ; ethiopian ; neotropical ; australian
Other Geographic Terms: cosmopolitan
Taenia taeniaeformis infects mainly rodents and cats so it is mainly a terrestrial organism. In unusual circumstances, it has been found in humans, but that instance is extremely rare. It infects cats mainly by way of mice. The mouse will be infected (secondary intermediate host) and when it is eaten by the cat, the worm will develop to its adult stage in the intestine of the feline.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest ; mountains
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural
The adult Taenia taeniaeformis can be subdivided into three body sections. The anterior region in called the scolex, which is used to adhere to the intestine of the host species. In T. taeniaeformis, the scolex is made up of four large suckers arranged around the sides. Behind the scolex is the neck region, and finally the third region is the strobilus. The strobilus is made of many linearly arranged sections which make up the greater part of the worm. Each section contains a proglottid (the reproductive area of the worm). The neck region is fairly small, almost nonexistent, and it produces the proglottids by way of transverse constrictions. The youngest proglottids are therefore at the anterior region and they increase by size and maturity as they reach the posterior of the strobila. The tapeworms' nervous system and protonephridial system run through the segments. A large anterior nerve mass is located in the scolex and two lateral longitudinal cords extend through to the strobilus.
The tapeworm cuticle plays a very vital role in this species. It is important in the absorption of food since the worm lacks its own digestive system. It can reach anywhere from 15 cm to 60 cm and has one proglottid per segment with both males and female reproductive systems opening laterally.
Range length: 15 to 60 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
These animals are probably not preyed on directly but are ingested. Egg and larval mortality are high since the parasite often do not reach appropriate hosts.
Each proglottid goes through a complete reproductive process and the reproductive system within each section takes up a majority of the space. The tapeworm is hermaphroditic, with each proglottid containing both a male and female systems. Sometimes fertilization between proglottids or even in the same proglottid occurs, but it is very rare. Usually reproduction involves two worms.
The male system consists of numerous testes sporadically placed throughout or lying in lateral fields. Sperm ductules all unite within the proglottid to form the sperm duct, which coils and enters the copulatory complex. The male system ends in an intromittent organ, the cirrus contained in a cirrus sac. To form a propulsion vesicle, the muscles of the sperm duct or the ejaculatory duct dilate.
In the female system, a single, dorsoventrally positioned ovary lies in each proglottid. Yolk glands form a compact organ inside Taenia taeniaeformis as well. A yolk-duct system turns into a single duct, and eventually connects with the oviduct after it emerges from the ovary. With strong peristaltic contractions, an ovicapt pulls ova into the oviduct. Branching off from the oviduct, near the ovicapt, a vagina branches off and runs to the genital atrium, which contains a dilated seminal receptacle (where sperm are stored during mating). Further than the vagina, the duct continues to form a uterus, which is small at immaturity, but eventually grows to coil and branch, filled with ova. The ova leave either when the proglottid is shed, or though a small uterine pore.
During copulation, the cirrus of the male proglottid is inserted into a vaginal opening of a nearby worm. The sperm are first stored in the seminal receptacle and then released for fertilization. Eventually, terminal proglottids break away from the strobilus. The eggs are then freed when the proglottid ruptures as it is released, either in the host's intestine, or in the feces of the host.
Key Reproductive Features: simultaneous hermaphrodite; sexual ; fertilization (Internal )
Parental Investment: no parental involvement
