Acanthocephalus dirus is a species of parasitic worm in the Echinorhynchidae family.[2] Instead of having its eggs expelled from the host in feces, the gravid female detaches itself from the host's digestive tract and sinks to the bottom, where her body is consumed by the species' intermediate host, Caecidotea intermedius, a species of isopod.[3][4] Upon hatching, the larvae begin to alter their host's behavior. This will manifest in lighter pigmentation and an increased attraction to predators, such as A. dirus' primary hosts.[5][6]
^"Acanthocephalus dirus (Van Cleve, 1931)". GBIF.org. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
^"Acanthocephalus dirus". Parasite of the Day. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
^Wahl, G. M.; Sparkes, T. C. (August 2012). "Egg dispersal in the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus: field data". Journal of Parasitology. 98 (4). American Society of Parasitologists: 894–896. doi:10.1645/GE-3078.1. PMID 22360588. S2CID 30511854.
^Hechtel, Laura J.; Johnson, Cheryl L.; Juliano, Steven A. (April 1993). "Modification of Antipredator Behavior of Caecidotea Intermedius by Its Parasite Acanthocephalus Dirus" (PDF). Ecology. 74 (3). Ecological Society of America: 710–713. doi:10.2307/1940798. JSTOR 1940798. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
^Sparkes, T. C.; Wright, V. M.; Renwick, D. T.; Weil, K. A.; Talkington, J. A.; Milhalyov, M. (September 2004). "Intra-specific host sharing in the manipulative parasite Acanthocephalus dirus: does conflict occur over host modification?". Journal of Parasitology. 129 (3). American Society of Parasitologists: 335–340. doi:10.1017/S0031182004005645. PMID 15471008. S2CID 21052338. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
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