Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus is a parasitic trematode found in the lungs of the Chinese sea snake. It was discovered in Taiwan in 1960, and later recorded in Japan and Korea. The unusual trait of living in the lungs of sea snakes led to its classification in a new genus, Pulmovermis. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies and morphological studies based on genetic sequences have revealed that these parasites should be reclassified as members of the preexisting genus Lecithochirium. With this discovery, it was proposed that this species be reclassified with its new genus, and referred to by the scientific name Lecithochirium cyanovitellosum.

Lecithochirium cyanovitellosum body (Left image)

Author

Misako Urabe, Takahide Sasai, Sergey G. Sokolov

Title

Rejection of the concept of hemiurid genus Pulmovermis (Digenea: Hemiuridae) and other taxonomic propositions: new morphological and molecular data regarding Lecithochirium cyanovitellosum (Coil and Kuntz, 1960) Urabe and Sokolov, comb. nov. (formerly Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus)

Journal

Systematic Parasitology

Link

10.1007/s11230-025-10213-3