Abstract

Dicyemids are commensals or parasites which live in the renal organs of benthic cephalopods. This study reports the presence of a dicyemid species in the kidney of the small octopus Robsonella fontaniana collected in the southern Pacific Ocean on the central coast of Chile. Smeared renal tissues on glass slides and histological sections were prepared for microscopical observation. All host octopuses observed (n= 7) had dicyemids in the renal tissues. The dicyemids were Dicyemennea characterized by calottes composed of 4 propolar cells and 5 metapolar cells. This is the first record of dicyemids in Chile and also in R. fontaniana.