Bothriocephalus cuspidatus is a tapeworm parasitizing North American freshwater fishes. It has been reported from 24 species but its most frequent hosts are members of the families Percidae and Centrarchidae. It was described from Walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Huron, Ontario. It has been reported from Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and the USA (Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin). It appears to be native to the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi drainages, but its geographical range and host range is complicated by possible confusion with B. claviceps and other, undescribed species. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it was collected from Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) and Green Sunfish (L. cyanellus ). Occurrences in California, Oregon, Idaho, and other western states are the result of fish introductions, primarily of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens, Walleye (Sander vitreus), sunfishes (e.g. Lepomis spp., and black basses (Micropterus spp.).