Development and characterization of 11 novel microsatellite loci for the roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii and their cross‐species amplification among other istiophorid species

Eleven novel polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the recently validated roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii. Characterization of these markers, based on 35 roundscale spearfish from the western North Atlantic, revealed two to 21 alleles per locus with an average expected heterozygosity (H_E) of 0·09–0·94, and all loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Cross‐amplification of these 11 loci against all other eight known istiophorid species indicates promising prospects for the utility of these markers for istiophorids in general.     

南中国海墨杯虫属(单殖吸虫,分室科)一新种

记述采自南中国海扁鮀鲣Auxis thazard thazard鳃上的分室科墨杯虫属单殖吸虫1新种,以宿主属名命名为鮀鲣墨杯虫Caballerocotyl aauxis sp.nov.。新种具2列背部边缘小刺,前、后吸器相对较大,后吸器腹面不具乳突,公共生殖孔开口紧邻于左前吸器下方,阴道开口于咽中部水平等特征而区别于近似种。模式标本保存于华南师范大学生命科学学院鱼类寄生虫学研究室。     

A new species of Monocotyle taschenberg, 1878 (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) from Dasyatis guttata (Dasyatidae)

Monocotyle guttatae n. sp. is described from the gills of the ray Dasyatis guttata (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Dasyatidae) off the coast of Brazil The new species can be readily differentiated from the other species of the genus in having a male copulatory organ with 2 loops and an accessory piece, 5-7 sclerites on the marginal haptoral papillae, and the absence of accessory sclerites on the dorsal surface of the posterior body. The present record confirms the presence of the genus in the subtropical waters of South America.     

Two anisakid nematodes from marine fishes off New Caledonia, including Raphidascaris (Ichthyascaris) nemipteri n. sp. from Nemipterus furcosus

One new and one known species of the ascaridoid family Anisakidae are reported from marine fishes off the southwestern coast of New Caledonia: Raphidascaris (Ichthyascaris) nemipteri n. sp. from the intestine of the forked-tailed threadfin bream Nemipterus furcosus (Nemipteridae, Perciformes) and Hysterothylacium cenaticum (Bruce & Cannon, 1989) from the intestine of the striped marlin Tetrapturus audax (Istiophoridae, Perciformes). R. nemipteri is characterised mainly by the shape (wider than long) of the lips, the length of the spicules (225–399 μm, which represent 2.7–4.2% of the body length), the number (22–33) of caudal pre-anal papillae, the position of the vulva (at 16–20% of the body length), and the presence of cuticular spines on the tip of the female tail. Specimens of H. cenaticum from New Caledonia generally exhibited smaller body measurements than those originally described from Australian waters; the deirids and eggs are described for the first time. Maricostula Bruce & Cannon, 1989 is considered a junior synonym of Hysterothylacium, to which three species are transferred as H. cenaticum (Bruce & Cannon, 1989) n. comb., H. makairi (Bruce & Cannon, 1989) n. comb. and H. tetrapteri (Bruce & Cannon, 1989) n. comb.     

Surface ultrastructure of Stictodora tridactyla (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) from Kuwait Bay

The surface morphology of Stictodora tridactyla recovered from a kitten that was fed the killifish, Aphanius dispar, naturally infected with the metacercariae was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The body comprised a rounded head, elongate neck, and widely pyriform hind-body. The head bore a circular oral sucker on the ventral side, and concentric rows of peg-like cephalic spines on the dorsal side. The oral sucker was armed with pre-oral spines similar in shape and size to the cephalic spines. The neck and hind-body were densely covered with scale-like multipointed spines, the size and density of which decreased from anterior to posterior parts of the body. Ciliated dome-shaped papillae were found solitarily or as conjugated groups on the head apex and lips of the oral sucker. Non-ciliated dome-shaped papillae were restricted to the lower lip of the oral sucker. The body was devoid of a ventral sucker. The genital opening appeared as a round depression of the tegument at about the anterior third of the body. This is the first record of the occurrence of S. tridactyla in the Arabian Gulf region and A. dispar is a new second intermediate host.     

Life cycle and description of a new species of brachylaimid (Trematoda: Digenea) in Spain

The life cycle of Brachylaima llobregatensis n. sp. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) is elucidated. Embryonated, operculated, asymmetric eggs (30.9 x 18.2 microm) are eliminated with feces of natural hosts wood mouse Mus spretus; white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula; and an experimental host, domestic mouse, Mus musculus var. domesticus. The eggs are ingested by the helicid gastropod Helix (Cornu) aspersa, the only natural and experimental first intermediate host. The miracidium hatches from the egg, infects the snails, and develops into a branched sporocyst in the digestive gland. Microcaudate cercariae emerge from this snail and develop into unencysted metacercariae in the kidney of second intermediate host snails H. (C.) aspersa and Otala punctata (natural hosts) and Theba pisana (experimental host). Ingestion of infected snails leads to the infection of definitive hosts, with the adults inhabiting the middle part of the small intestine. There is a chaetotaxic pattern specific on the acetabular (S(II) 5-6 papillae) and body (papillae absent on P(II)) levels. Three types of cercaria papillae were observed by scanning electron microscopy: argentophilic papillae with fingerlike processes (cephalic, body, and acetabular levels); argentophilic papillae with opening (2 papillae in the M body level); and nonargentophilic dome-shaped papillae (on the cephalic C(II) level, alternating with argentophilic S(II) papillae on the ventral sucker). Suckers are subequal, with the acetabulum located in the posterior part of the anterior third of body. Vitellaria extend from anterior margin of acetabulum to between middle level and anterior margin of anterior testis.     

Hysterothylacium pseudotumbili n.sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from the marine fishes of Visakhapatnam, Bay of Bengal.

Hysterothylacium pseudotumbili n.sp. from the stomach and body cavity of marine fishes. Chrorinemus tol Couvier. Saurida undosquamis (Richardson), Lutianus russelli (Bleeker), Rastrilliger kanagurta (Cuvier) and Saurida pseudotumbili Dutt and Vidyasagar collected from Visakhapatnam (Bay of Bengal) is described and figured. A detailed examination has allowed us to erect a new species of Hysterothylacium to accommodate the worm. It shows remarkable differences from other known species of Hysterothylacium in respect of body measurements, the papillae on the lips arrangement, location of nerve ring and excretory pore, long intestinal caecum, position of vulva, number and arrangement of caudal papillae and size of the spicules. The new species is designated as Hysterothylacium pseudotumbili. Saurida pseudotumbili is the new host record. This is the first report of the genus in this host. Visakhapatnam coast is the new locality record.     

A redescription of Chabaudus leberrei (Bain & Philippon, 1969) (Nematoda: Seuratoidea) from Xenopus spp. in Swaziland

Chabaudus leberrei (Bain & Philippon, 1969) is redescribed from the pipid anurans Xenopus muelleri (Peters) and X. laevis laevis (Daudin) (new host records) in northern Swaziland, based on light and scanning electron microscope studies. The six anterior protuberances characteristic of the genus Chabaudus Inglis & Ogden, 1965, are, in C. leberrei, formed by bipartite lamellae associated with the internal margins of the three lips. Intraspecific variation in the number and disposition of male caudal papillae and in the development of the cephalic vesicle is documented.     

Host specificity of Lepeophtheirus crassus (Wilson and Bere) (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the marlin sucker Remora osteochir (Cuvier) in the Atlantic Ocean

Three species of remoras--Remora brachyptera (Lowe), Remora osteochir (Cuvier), and Remora remora (Linnaeus)--were collected from 4 species of billfishes--Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw), Makaira nigricans Lacepéde, Tetrapturus albidus Poey, and Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins and de Sylva--on board a Japanese long-liner Shoyo Maru during her cruise in 2002 across the Atlantic. However, only the marlin sucker (R. osteochir) was found to carry a parasitic copepod, Lepeophtheirus crassus (Wilson and Bere, 1936). Although 12 species of parasitic copepods have been reported from billfishes around the world ocean, none of them is L. crassus. Thus, L. crassus is considered a parasite specific to the marlin sucker.     

New data on the morphology of the snake mackerel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abadzekhia tarletskovi</Emphasis> Bannikov (Perciformes,Gempylidae) from the Lower Oligocene of the Northern Caucasus

A new record of an almost complete and well-preserved skeleton of the gempylid fish Abadzekhia tarletskovi Bannikov, 2005 (Perciformes) in the Lower Maikopian (Lower Oligocene) of the Northern Caucasus (Apsheronskii District) allowed a more complete restoration of its morphology. To date, the species A. tarletskovi has only been known from the holotype (posterior portion of the body) from the same locality.     

The genusOligolecithus Vercammen-Grandjean (Digenea: Telorchiidae) fromXenopus spp. (Anura: Pipidae), with a description ofO. siluranae n. sp. fromX. tropicalis (Gray) in Ghana

The taxonomy, host range and geographical distribution ofOligolecithus Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960, a genus of telorchiid digeneans fromXenopus spp. in Africa, is reviewed.O. jonkershoekensis Pritchard, 1964 is established as a junior synonym ofO. elianae Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960, andO. siluranae n. sp. is described fromX. tropicalis in Ghana. These two species are differentiated by variations in body length, testicular arrangement and ventral sucker width in proportion to body size.O. elianae occurs inX. laevis laevis from South Africa and Zimbabwe (new locality record),X. l. poweri from Zaire,X. l. victorianus from Zaire, Uganda and Rwanda (new locality record),X. l. bunyoniensis (new host record) from Uganda andX. l. sudanensis from Sudan (new host and locality record). It is also found inX. wittei from Uganda and Zaire andX. vestitus (new host record) from Uganda. The host ofO. siluranae belongs to a separate species group within the genusXenopus from the hosts ofO. elianae; this tropicalis group is phylogenetically isolated, but it also occurs in a different biotype, lowland tropical rain forest, ecologically distinct from the other known host species.     

Calicobenedenia Polyprioni n. gen., n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Capsalidae) from the external surfaces of wreckfish, Polyprion americanus (Teleostei: Polyprionidae), in the north Atlantic

Calicobenedenia polyprioni n. sp. (Capsalidae) is described from the external surfaces (skin and eye) of wreckfish, Polyprion americanus (Teleostei, Perciformes, Polyprionidae), from the north Atlantic Ocean. The monotypic Calicobenedenia n. gen. is proposed for this species and is characterized, in part, by its members possessing an aseptate haptor armed with 14 submarginal hooks and 1 pair of anchors, a common genital pore opening marginally immediately posterior to the left cephalic lobe, 2 testes juxtaposed near the body midlength, and by lacking cephalic suckers or adhesive discs, accessory haptoral sclerites, and a uterine valve. The new genus most closely resembles Entobdella, which differs from Calicobenedenia by having an aseptate haptor armed with 14 submarginal hooks, 2 pairs of anchors, and a pair of accessary sclerites.     

Surface morphology of Probolocoryphe uca (Sarkisian, 1957) (Digenea: Microphallidae) from Kuwait Bay

The surface ultrastructure of Probolocoryphe uca (Digenea: Microphallidae), recovered from a rat experimentally fed on crabs, Nanosesarma minutum(Brachyura: Grapsidae), naturally infected with the metacercariae, was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The flukes were leaf-like, ventrally concave and pyriform or ovoid in outline. The anterior end was modified into a sucker-like organ, comprising a protrusible disc-shaped structure surrounded by single-pointed spines. This organ is probably involved in the attachment and feeding process in a manner similar to the action of the oral suckers. Apart from the sucker-like organ, the entire tegumental surface was covered with triangular spines with multi-pointed tips. Ciliated, dome-shaped papillae were observed, singly or in groups, arranged symmetrically on the sucker-like organ and around the oral and ventral suckers. Kuwait Bay constitutes a new geographical record and the crab N. minutum is a new second intermediate host record for P. uca.     

New species of Moravecia (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) from body cavity of marine perciform fish Percophis brasiliensis in Argentina

A new species of dracunculoid nematode, Moravecia argentinensis n. sp. (Guyanemidae), is described from the blood vessels and body cavity of Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis Quoy et Gaimard (Perciformes: Percophidae), from off the coast of Argentina. The new species differs from the only other congeneric species, Moravecia australiensis Ribu et Lester, 2004, mainly in the number (14) of cephalic papillae, the length ratio of the muscular and glandular portions of esophagus (1:1-2), more numerous (3-5 pairs) genital papillae in the male, and the presence of a sclerotized copulatory plate. This is the second known species of Moravecia Ribu et Lester, 2004 and the first species of this genus reported from South American waters.     

Life cycle of Brachylaima mascomai n. sp. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae), a parasite of rats in the Llobregat delta (Spain)

The terrestrial triheteroxenous life cycle of Brachylaima mascomai n. sp. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) is elucidated. Operculated, assymetric, embryonated eggs (25.4 x 12.7 microm) are passed with feces of the natural (Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus) and experimental (albino and wild mice, albino rats, Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus spretus [Muridae] and the golden gerbil) definitive hosts and ingested by the helicid gastropod Pseudotachea splendida, the only natural and experimental first intermediate host. Microcaudate cercariae harbored in branched sporocysts in the digestive gland emerge from this snail and contact P. splendida, Otala punctata, Theba pisana, and Helix (C.) aspersa snails developing into unencysted infective metacercariae in the kidney. Definitive hosts are infected by ingestion of infected snails; the adult parasites inhabit the small intestine. Chaetotaxic cercarial pattern specific at acetabular (S(II) 8-10 papillae) and cephalic (C(III) 13-15 papillae, H 16 papillae) levels. Three types of cercarial papillae are observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their arrangement is correlated with chaetotaxy for the first time in trematodes: argentophilic papillae with fingerlike process (cephalic, body, and acetabular levels), argentophilic papillae with opening (2 papillae in the M body level), and nonargentophilic dome-shaped papillae (alternated with argentophilic S(II) papillae on the ventral sucker). SEM detected interlacing network of ridges covering the metacercarial body. Adults with multidigitate tegumentary spines were observed by SEM. Subequal suckers; the acetabulum located in the posterior part of anterior fifth of body. Vitellaria extend from between middle level and anterior margin of anterior testis to between middle level and posterior margin of acetabulum. Uterus almost reaches the intestinal bifurcation.     

Two new kathlaniid species (Nematoda: Cosmocercoidea) parasitic in salamanders of the genus Andrias (Amphibia: Caudata: Cryptobranchidae)

The new nematode species, Falcaustra hanzaki n. sp. and Urodelnema takanoensis n. sp. (Cosmocercoidea: Kathlaniidae), were found from the intestine of giant salamanders in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The first species is featured by the number and arrangement of caudal papillae (3 pairs of precloacal papillae, 8 pairs of postcloacal papillae and a single ventral precloacal papilla), the presence of a single pseudosucker, spicules equal in size (520–638 μm long), and V-shaped gubernaculum in males; vulva situated about 3/5 of a body in females. The second species is characterized by the number and arrangement of caudal papillae (5 pairs of precloacal papillae, 6 pairs of postcloacal papillae and a single ventral precloacal papilla), spicules equal in size (403–593 μm long), V-shaped gubernaculum in males; vulva situated about 3/5 of a body in females. The molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using the partial 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA and the internal transcribed spacers 1 region in the nuclear DNA. This phylogenetic study raised a question about the validity of Family Kathlaniidae and related families of Cosmocercoidea.     

Description of Brachylecithum mackoi n. sp. (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) from the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus (Insectivora: Erinaceidae)

A new hepatic dicrocoeliid species, Brachylecithum mackoi n. sp. (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), is described from the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus (L.) (Insectivora, Erinaceidae). An infected host was found in the Mediterranean island of Elba (Italy), and more than 60 individuals were isolated from the biliary ducts. The holotype and 55 paratypes were examined. Brachylecithum mackoi n. sp. differs from congeneric species found in mammal hosts by having well-developed lappets in the ventral sucker, a sloping uterus between anterior testis and acetabulum, no overlap between vitellaria, and metrical features in the body size, sucker diameters, cirrus sac, and size of eggs. The only other Brachylecithum species of erinaceids in Europe and Africa, Brachylecithum aetechini Dollfus, 1951, differs from the new species in the above-mentioned morphological characters, greater dimensions of the body, and oral sucker, pharynx, cirrus sac, and egg dimensions. The presence of B. mackoi n. sp. in Elba Island is discussed in the light of apparent host specificity of erinaceid dicrocoeliids and geographical distribution of Palearctic and Ethiopian Erinaceidae.