crabs (described in Uruguay) and gulls, including Larus atlanticus. The species was moved to this genus by Golvan, 1994. Profilicollis formosus Schmidt and Kuntz, 1967 Infects Macrobrachium and domestic ducks in Taiwan. Profilicollis major Lundström, 1942 Infects the Atlantic rock crab Cancer irroratus, although likely other species as well. This parasite has also found in the intestines of sea otters, although it appears to be much less pathogenic to the otters than Profilicollis altmani. Profilicollis novaezelandensis (Brockerhoff, 2002) Infects shore crabs such as Hemigrapsus crenulatus, and mud crabs Macrophthalmus hirtipes and Helice crassa. They then infect birds such as the South Island pied oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus finschi and bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica in New Zealand. Profilicollis sphaerocephalus (Bremser, 1819) Infects many grapsid crabs (including Brachynotus spinosus, Cyclograpsus granulosus, Paragrapsus gaimardii, Paragrapsus laevis and Paragrapsus quadridentatus) 1 species of portunid crab (Nectocarcinus integrifrons). This species also infects gulls. Proposed synonyms Profilicollis kenti and Profilicollis texensis were described as parasitizing mole crabs in North America, in addition to the species Profilicollis altmani. Morphological examination first suggested that Profilicollis kenti and Profilicollis texensis were synonyms of Profilicollis altmani. Later, DNA sequencing of acanthocephalans sampled form the mole crab Emerita analoga in the Pacific and E. talpoida in the Atlantic showed that only one species of acanthocephalan was present in Emerita crabs in North America. Profilicollis bullocki was reported as parasitizing the mole crabs in Chile and Peru. DNA sequences were used to test whether the species Profilicollis bullocki in South America was genetically distinct from Profilicollis altmani in North America. The parasites from the mole crab Emerita analoga in Chile and E. rathbunae in Panama were found to be highly similar to the acanthocephalans from mole crabs in North America, strongly suggesting they are the same species. Later research showed that acanthocephalan parasites from the Atlantic coast of South America (Uruguay) are also genetically similar, and belong to the same species. References Polymorphidae Acanthocephala genera