A genus of taeniid tapeworms in which the larval forms in herbivores occur in the form of a coenurus (multiple scoleces invaginated within a single cyst).
Origin: multi-+ L. Caput, head
Multiceps multiceps, a species the mature form of which occurs in the intestines of dogs; the coenurus develops in the brains of herbivorous animals, especially sheep; the cyst is often called Coenurus cerebralis.
Multiceps serialis, a species the mature form of which is found in the intestine of dogs; the coenurus is found in the subcutaneous tissues of rabbits.
(05 Mar 2000)