Abstract Parasitic barnacles (Thecostraca: Rhizocephala) are among the most striking
parasitic manipulators in the animal kingdom.“Kentrogonid” rhizocephalans significantly
alter the physiology and behaviour of brachyuran crabs, while “akentrogonid” influence on
hosts remains poorly studied. The specialised rootlets invading the nervous system that are
presumably crucial for the host-parasite interplay were described in basal rhizocephalan
families that display a kentrogonid life cycle. In this study, we present a histological …