Profilicollis

Profilicollis
Profilicollis altmani
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Acanthocephala
Class:	Palaeacanthocephala
Order:	Polymorphida
Family:	Polymorphidae
Genus:	Profilicollis Meyer, 1931
Species
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Profilicollis is a genus of acanthocephalan parasites of crustaceans. The status of the genus Profilicollis has been debated, and species placed in this genus were formerly included in the genus Polymorphus. However, research on the morphology of the group and their use of hosts has concluded that Profilicollis and Polymorphus should be regarded as distinct genera, and species previously described as Polymorphus altmani are now referred to as Profilicollis altmani in the literature.Profilicollis parasites infect decapod crustaceans, usually shore crabs, as intermediate hosts, and use many species of shorebirds as definitive hosts.

Profilicollis altmani is a species of acanthocephalan parasite, also described as Profilicollis kenti and Profilicollis texensis, although the status of this parasite is not fully resolved. This parasite first develops in the haemocoel of Emerita spp. mole crabs, in North and South America. After infection of the mole crab (the intermediate host), the parasite becomes a dormant cystacanth until the crab is eaten by a suitable bird, such as the surf scoter Melanitta perspicillata or herring gull, Larus argentatus (the final or definitive host). Once the parasite cystacanth has passed through the stomach of the bird, it develops into the adult worm and attaches to the intestines of the bird. Eggs produced by the parasite are released from the bird with bird feces and enter the ocean. Here the eggs are transported by the currents until they are accidentally ingested by a filter-feeding mole crab. Interestingly, Profilicollis altmani has become the subject of increasing research as it has been discovered that this parasite is contributing to a substantial proportion of the deaths of the southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis. Between 1998 and 2001, between 13% and 16.2% of sea otter carcasses found around central California the cause of death was determined to be a direct result of acanthocephalan peritonitis, caused by this species of parasite. Several decades ago, the proportion of sea otters dying because of these parasites was almost negligible. Most of the sea otters that were found to be killed by infections by Profilicollis altmani were either young juvenile or older female otters, and it is hypothesized that they feed on sand crabs because they are less skilled at foraging or because of a decrease in their preferred prey.

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