By clarifying which taxonomic characters are of specific significance and by defining the intra specific limits of individual morphological variations, seventeen species of the genus Anisakis were shown to represent only three distinguishable forms, these being Anisakis simplex (Rudoiphi, 1809 det. Krabbe, 1878), A. typica (Diesing, 1860) and A. physeteris Baylis, 1923. The morphological characters in order of importance for identifying these species are the spicules, the postanal papillae, the form of the ventriculus, the position of the vulva and the form of the lips. These three species were also found to be satisfactory when discussed in geographical and ecological terms.The four remaining species in the genus, Anisakis dussumierii (van Beneden, 1870), A. alexandri Hsü and Hoeppli, 1933, A. insignis (Diesing, 1851) and A. schupakovi Mozgovoi, 1915 are retained as species inquirendae for lack of sufficient information concerning them.

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