Muscle System of <i>Aspidogaster limacoides</i> (Trematoda, Aspidogastridae )

The article describes the musculature of the body, the pharynx and the ventral disc of Aspidogaster limacoides. The body wall contains three muscle layers: circular, longitudinal and diagonal. Numerous chordal muscles oriented both transversely and longitudinally, along with body wall and radial musculature, precondition the oral funnel mobility. Apart from radial, the pharynx musculature includes outer longitudinal, inner circular and outer circular muscles, the latter forming the anterior sphincter. The ventral disc being alveolar in its structure, the diversity of its musculature is restricted: the septa contain no chordal muscles or sphincters. The architectonics of parenchymal musculature has three main features resulting from large disc size, i.e. the presence of two muscle septa in the parenchima, dorso-ventral musculature being located latero-ventrally from muscle septa and a considerable development of viscero-motor muscles.