Abstract
The cause of death of five golden lion marmosets at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1973 and 1974 was acanthocephaliasis, infection with acanthocephalans. Acanthocephalans are also known as spiny-headed worms because of an invaginable proboscis armed with hooks at the anterior end of the worm. The cockroach may serve as an intermediate host for acanthocephalans and was selected for this study as a possible organism involved in the life history of those found in the marmosets.