 Ancylostoma duodenale is an S-shaped worm because of its flexure at the frontal end.

The worm is
pinkish-white. Adult male hookworms range in size from 8-11 mm long, whereas adult females range in
size from 10-13 mm long. This species is dimorphic, with the males having bursa characteristics and
needle-like spicules with small tips, which are distally fused. Females have a vulva located
approximately one-third of the body length from the posterior end. Both male and female hookworms
have two powerful ventral teeth in the adult forms of the parasite, one along each side of the buccal
capsule; smaller pairs of teeth are located deeper in the capsule.

Hookworm eggs have a thin shell and the larvae possess amphids, large paired sensilla on each side of the
mouth, which allow them to locate their host. The larvae are rod-shaped and are about 0.004 cm long.

Range length: 8 to 13 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes shaped differently

 Ancylostoma ceylanicum is a parasitic roundworm belonging to the genus Ancylostoma. It is

a hookworm both of humans and of other mammals such as dogs, cats, and golden hamsters. It is the
only zoonotic hookworm species that is able to produce symptomatic infections in humans, with the
majority of cases being in Southeast Asia.

The adult hookworms are white and about 6–10 mm long. They are generally stouter than A. braziliense. The
anterior end is bent dorsally, which gives the body a characteristic "hooked" or J-shaped appearance, hence
the common name hookworm. Females have a tapered narrow posterior end, while males have a feathery
posterior end owing to their copulatory bursa. Hookworm species are not easily distinguished from the gross
appearance. The key diagnostic feature is the appearance of their mouths. Unlike other hookworms, A.
ceylanicum has a mouth with cutting plate with a sharp dorsal end that looks like a tooth and a less distinct
sharp ventral end.

 Ancylostoma Braziliense - Males measure 7.5 to 8.5 mm. Females measure 9 to 10.5 mm. The buccal
capsule has one pair of small medium teeth and one of larger outer teeth. (See picture on left.)
 Ancylostoma caninum is usually gray, but appears reddish if there is blood in its alimentary canal. The
body is covered by a non-living cuticle that sheds at molts allowing for growth of the nematode. A male
is 10 to 12 mm long and 0.36 mm wide; a female is 14 to 20 mm long by 0.5 mm wide and has a
pointed tail. The anterior end is bent dorsally so that the arrangement of the hookworm's ventral and
dorsal sides are reversed. In the head of the hookworm is an area called the buccal capsule which
contains one the mouth and teeth.

Ventrally, there is one pair of teeth, each with three points. In the depth of the capsule there is a pair of
triangular dorsal teeth and a pair of ventro-lateral teeth. At its posterior end, a male A. caninum has a
prominent bursa. The rays inside the bursa are used in identifying species of hookworms, so A. caninum has a
particular arrangement of rays in its bursa. The female reproductive organ, the vulva, is found near the
junction of the second and last thirds of the body. (Cheng, 1973; Jones, 1967; Marquardt, 2000; Olsen, 1974)
  Necator americanus has a cylindrical body, and a cuticle with three main outer layers made of collagen
and other compounds, secreted by the epidermis. The cuticle layer protects the nematode so it can
invade digestive tracts of animals.

Eggs range in size from 65-75 micrometers x 36-40 micrometers and are virtually indistinguishable from those
of Ancylostoma duodenale, another common hookworm. Adult females range in size from 9 mm to 11 mm
while the smaller males range in size from 7 mm to 9 mm. The mouth of the adults has two pair of cutting
plates, one dorsal and the other ventral. The males of the species are characterized by fused spicules found on
the bursa. The common name "hookworm" comes from the dorsal curve at the anterior end.

Range length: 7 to 11 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes shaped differently