Sea lice (Copepoda: Caligidae) from South Africa,with descriptions of two new species of Caligus

Systematic Parasitology - Thirteen species of sea lice (family Caligidae) are reported from a range of elasmobranch and actinopterygian fishes caught off South Africa or obtained from public...     

The discovery of Lepeophtheirus lichiae Barnard, 1948 (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on leerfish,Lichia amia (Linnaeus) in the Mediterranean Sea

Systematic Parasitology - Lepeophtheirus lichiae Barnard, 1948 (Copepoda: Caligidae), a very rare and poorly known sea louse, is redescribed based on a single newly collected female. The specimen...     

Caligus tunisiensis n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the painted comber Serranus scriba (L.) (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Mediterranean Sea,off the Tunisian coast

Systematic Parasitology - A new species of parasitic copepod, Caligus tunisiensis n. sp. (Caligidae), is described based on two female specimens collected from the gills of the painted comber,...     

Pseudanuretes anfoozi n. sp. (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from the yellowbar angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål) in coral reefs off Iraq

Systematic Parasitology - A new species of Pseudanuretes Yamaguti, 1936 (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the gills of the yellowbar angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål) from a coral...     

Two species of parasitic copepods (Caligidae) new to Japan

Two species of parasitic copepods (Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae), Caligus sclerotinosus Roubal, Armitage & Rohde, 1983, parasitic on red seabream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel), and Lepeophtheirus longiventralis Yü & Wu, 1932, parasitic on spotted halibut Verasper variegatus (Temminck & Schlegel), are redescribed based on material found on their respective hosts cultured in Japan. Both species are new to Japan. Preliminary observation on the occurrence of L. longiventralis indicates that the larval development takes place on the body surface of the host and only the post-mated female migrates into the host's gill-cavities. Whilst the occurrence of L. longiventralis in Japan can be considered as due to natural causes, the occurrence of C. sclerotinosus is likely due to anthropogenic activities.     

Caligus nolani n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae), a parasite of Patagonotothen sima (Richardson) (Teleostei: Pisces) from the Falkland Islands,and a note on Clavella bowmani,Kabata, 1963 (Copepoda: Lernaeopodidae)

Both sexes of a new species of parasitic copepod, Caligus nolani (Caligidae: Siphonostomatoida) from the skin of the nototheniid fish Patagonotothen sima from the Falkland Islands, are described. The male differs superficially from the female in having a more rounded cephalothoracic shield, a thinner genital complex and a two-segmented abdomen. C. nolani can be separated from all other species of Caligus by the shapes of the sternal furca and second antenna. Clavella bowmani Kabata, 1963 from P. sima is the first record of this species from the Falkland Islands.     

Euryphorus brachypterus (Copepoda: Caligidae) on wild pacific bluefin tuna from the Tsugaru Strait,northern Japan

Parasitic copepods infecting large scombrid fishes have been known for a long time because their hosts are economically important. Most studies, however, have focused on their morphology or their infection status in aquaculture from pathological viewpoints, and very few quantitative surveys have been conducted under conditions in the wild. This study therefore investigated the prevalence of Euryphorus brachypterus (Caligidae) in wild Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF). Results of sampling from August to September 2014 at the western area of the Tsugaru Strait, Japan showed that 13.2% of the PBF individuals (n = 1978) were infected with this copepod. The prevalence of infections was highest in larger fish but varied among landing dates, which were classified into three clusters and in all smaller fish, the prevalence of infections was zero. This suggests that E. brachypterus mainly uses the larger PBF, which becomes sources of further infections in other seas, and that at least two host populations with different infection statuses at the strait.     

Genetic heterogeneity within populations of Lepeophtheirus europaensis (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on two host species

, and 1992. Genetic heterogeneity within populations of Lepeophtheirus europaensis (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on two host species. International Journal for Parasitology 22: 1179–1181. The ectoparasitic copepod Lepeophtheirus europaensis exploits two different species of Mediterranean flat fishes: the brill (a marine fish) and the flounder (found in lagoons). Analysis of the genetic structure of these parasite populations revealed that migration is reduced between the two hosts. Moreover, an adaptive polymorphism was found when the survival of the eggs and free larvae of these copepods was studied at different salinities. The results are discussed and interpreted as signs of a probable speciation process currently occurring within this parasite taxon.     

A new species of Caligus (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida) from the plankton of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela with a key to species

During a survey of the zooplankton community of Bahía Amuay, Venezuelan Caribbean, specimens of an undescribed species of Caligus Müller were collected. It resembles Caligus xystercus Cressey and Caligus ocyurus Cressey, both known only from the Caribbean Sea. The new species can be distinguished from these and other congeners by a combination of characters including the armature of legs 1 and 4, but mainly by its unique female genital complex. This is the first species of Caligus described from Venezuela. The species is described in full and a key to the species of the genus recorded in Venezuela is provided.     

A new species of Acantholochus (Copepoda: Bomolochidae) parasitic on Centropomus undecimalis (Osteichthyes: Centropomidae) from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

A new species of Acantholochus Cressey, 1984 (Copepoda: Bomolochidae) parasitic on the gills of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species differs from all other species of Acantholochus by the presence of only one inner seta on middle segment of the second and third endopods.     

Linkage of Thomsen disease to the T-cell-receptor beta (TCRB) locus on chromosome 7q35.

The chromosomal localization of the gene for Thomsen disease, an autosomal dominant form of myotonia congenita, is unknown. Electrophysiologic data in Thomsen disease point to defects in muscle-membrane ion-channel function. A mouse model of myotonia congenita appears to result from transposon inactivation of a muscle chloride-channel gene which maps to a region of mouse chromosome 6. The linkage group containing this gene includes several loci which have human homologues on human chromosome 7q31-35 (synteny), and this is a candidate region for the Thomsen disease locus. Linkage analysis of Thomsen disease to the T-cell-receptor beta (TCRB) locus at 7q35 was carried out in four pedigrees (25 affected and 23 unaffected individuals) by using a PCR-based dinucleotide repeat polymorphism in the TCRB gene. Two-point linkage analysis between Thomsen disease and TCRB showed a maximum cumulative lod score of 3.963 at a recombination fraction of .10 (1-lod support interval .048-.275). We conclude that the Thomsen disease locus is linked to the TCRB locus in these families.     

Two species of Ergasilidae (Copepoda: Poecilostomatoida) parasitic on the gills of Mugil cephalus Linnaeus (Pisces: Teleostei), with proposition of a new genus Dermoergasilus

A new genus of Ergasilidae (Dermoergasilus) is proposed to accommodate Ergasilus amplectens Dogiel et Akhmerov, 1952; E. coleus Cressey, 1970; and E. semicoleus Cressey, 1970. Dermoergasilus amplectens (Dogiel et Akhmerov, 1952) and Nipergasilus bora (Yamaguti, 1939) are redescribed based on the specimens recovered from the gills of Mugil cephalus L. collected in Kojima Bay, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.     

Siliceous scales of filose-amoebae (Pompholyxophryidae,Rotosphaerida) from deep Southern Ocean sediments,including first records for the Southern Hemisphere

The world of protists remains largely unexplored. A thorough electron-microscopic investigation of a few microlitres of deep-sea sediment from 2,964 m water depth near the South Sandwich Islands (Southern Ocean) revealed siliceous scales of filose-amoeba protist species, two of which have not been reported previously from Antarctica or from elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. However, all the species are known from other oceans and, in one case, from freshwater habitats. The Antarctic protistan scales belong to four species of filose amoebae: Pinaciophora fluviatilis Greef 1869, Pinaciophora denticulata Thomsen 1978, Pinaciophora multicosta Thomsen 1978 and Rabdiaster reticulata (Thomsen 1979) Mikrjukov 1999 nov. comb. Our study shows that (1) none of the species has been recorded from the Australasian biogeograpical region, (2) Pinaciophora multicosta and Rabdiaster reticulata are new records for the Southern Ocean and for the Southern Hemisphere as a whole, (3) prior to this investigation, Pinaciophora multicosta had been reported once only, from the Baltic Sea (Europe). These results highlight the problem of undersampling in the study of the global distribution of protists.     

The host specificity of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller, 1776) (Copepoda: Caligidae)

The host specificity of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller) was examined experimentally by exposing different fish species to infection by artificially reared copepodid larvae. Copepodids which were hatched from eggs of adults parasitic on plaice ( platessae copepodids) preferred plaice to all other fishes tested, whereas copepodids which were hatched from eggs of adults parasitic on flounder ( flesi copepodids) preferred flounder to all other fish species. These behavioural differences suggest that two strains of L. pectoralis exist, one ( platessae ) adapted to plaice as its host and the other ( flesi ) to flounder. Comparison of an experimentally derived order of host preference with a table of occurrence obtained from the literature, suggests that a third strain of L. pectoralis , adapted to dab as its host, might also occur.
The process of infection by L. pectoralis copepodids is also described. It comprises a host location phase, during which the copepodid enters the habitat of its flatfish hosts and locates a host individual, and an attachment phase. The host location phase appears to be governed by changes in the activity of the copepodid and by its positively rheotactic response to water currents produced by the host. The attachment phase is probably based on the response of the copepodid to chemical factors produced by the host.     

New species of parasitic copepods of the Genus Acusicola (Poecilostomatoida: Ergasilidae) from gill filaments of coastal and freshwater Brazilian fishes, and proposition of Acusicola rogeri n. sp. for A. tenax sensu Cressey & Collette (1970)

Four new species of Acusicola are described based on adult females found on gill filaments of several species of coastal and freshwater fishes caught in Brazilian basins. The distribution area of the genus in Brazil is significantly enlarged, since until now the previous Brazilian species had been known only from Amazonian fishes. The specimens identified as Acusicula tenax by Cressey and Collette (1970) are considered representatives of a new species, A. rogeri. A key for identification of the species of Acusicola is provided.     

Redefinition of the genus Allonychiurus Yoshii, 1995 (Collembola, Onychiuridae) with description of a new species from China

In this paper, we describe a new species of the genus Allonychiurus Yoshii, 1995, characterized by the presence of an apical swelling on the fourth antennal segment as well as a combination of chaetotaxic and pseudocellar characters. The genus Allonychiurus is redefined. Four of its species are considered as incertae sedis: Allonychiurus michelbacheri (Bagnall, 1948), Allonychiurus spinosus (Bagnall, 1949), Allonychiurus caprariae (Dallai, 1969) and Allonychiurus sensitivus (Handschin, 1928). The three species Allonychiurus borensis (Beruete, Arbea & Jordana, 1994), Allonychiurus sensilatus (Thibaud & Massoud, 1979) and Allonychiurus vandeli (Cassagnau, 1960) are removed from Allonychiurus and placed in Micronychiurus Bagnall, 1949, Thalassaphorura Bagnall, 1949 and Spinonychiurus Weiner, 1996 respectively. The synonymy of Thibaudichiurus Weiner, 1996 with Allonychiurus is rejected and Allonychiurus foliatus (Rusek, 1967) and Allonychiurus mariangeae (Thibaud & Lee, 1994) are re-allocated to Thibaudichiurus. List and identification key to the world species of the genus are given.