Karyakartia egyptensis n. sp. (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) from the Jarbua terapon, Terapon jarbua (Forsskål) (Perciformes: Terapontidae), from the Red Sea and emendation of Karyakartia

Karyakartia egyptensis n. sp. (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae: Lepocreadiinae) is described from the intestine of the Jarbua terapon, Terapon jarbua (Forssk?l), collected from the Red Sea off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt. Karyakartia egyptensis n. sp. differs from K. pambanense in that the former species possesses larger spiniform structures around the perimeter of the mouth (48-54 microm as compared with 25-30 microm), a uroproct rather than ceca that end blindly or form a cyclocoel, and a somewhat smaller egg (60-68 microm as compared with 70-73 microm).     

Description and development of Auerbachia ignobili n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) from the giant trevally,Caranx ignobilis (Forsskål, 1775) from Indian waters

The present study describes a new species of myxosporean, Auerbachia ignobili n. sp., infecting the hepatic bile ducts of Caranx ignobilis (Forsskål, 1775). Myxospores are club-shaped with a broad anterior region and a narrow, slightly curved and blunt caudal extension, measuring 17.4 ± 1.5 μm in length and 7.5 ± 7.4 μm in width. Shell valves asymmetrical, with a faint suture line, and enclosed a single, elongate-elliptical polar capsule with a ribbon-like polar filament, arranged in 5–6 coils. Developmental stages included early and late presporogonic stages, pansporoblast, and sporogonic stages with monosporic and disporic plasmodia. A. ignobili n. sp. differs from the other described species of Auerbachia in the shape and dimensions of the myxospores and polar capsules. The molecular analysis generated ∼1400 bp long SSU rDNA sequences and the present species exhibited a maximum similarity 94.04–94.91% with A. chakravartyi. Genetic distance analysis indicated the lowest interspecies divergence of 4.4% with A. chakravartyi. In phylogenetic analysis, A. ignobili n. sp. was positioned independently with a high bootstrap value (1/100) and appeared as sister to A. maamouni and A. chakravartyi. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and histology indicates that the parasite develops within the hepatic bile ducts. Histological studies did not reveal any pathological changes. Considering the morphological, morphometric, molecular, and phylogenetic differences coupled with the differences in host and geographic locations, the present myxosporean is treated as a new species and named A. ignobili n. sp.     

Neoechinorhynchus qatarensis sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from the blue-barred flame parrot fish,Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775, in Qatari waters of the Arabian Gulf

Neoechinorhynchus qatarensis sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from the marine blue-barred flame parrot fish Scarus ghobban Forssk?l, 1775 in the Arabian Gulf waters off the coast of Qatar. The new species is distinguished from all other species of the genus Neoechinorhynchus by its unique reproductive system and a glandular structure associated with the proboscis receptacle in both males and females. Other uncommon features of N. qatarensis are also discussed.     

Two species of Dioncopseudobenedenia Yamaguti, 1965 (Monogenea: Capsalidae) from Naso unicornis (Forsskål) (Acanthuridae) and Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus (Coryphaenidae) in western Japan,with a description of D. elongata n. sp. from N. unicornis

Systematic Parasitology - Three species of Dioncopseudobenedenia Yamaguti, 1965 (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Benedeniinae) have been described, all found parasitising Naso spp. (Acanthuridae) and...     

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...     

Four new monorchiids from the golden trevally,Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål) (Perciformes: Carangidae), in Moreton Bay,Australia

Systematic Parasitology - Four new monorchiid trematodes are reported from Moreton Bay, Australia; three new species of Provitellus Dove & Cribb, 1998 and one species of Ovipusillus Dove...     

Otobothrium muscatense n. sp. (Trypanorhyncha: Otobothriidae) from Rhabdosargus sarba (Forsskål) (Sparidae), with new locality records of larval trypanorhynchs off the Sultanate of Oman

Systematic Parasitology - In the evaluation of the larval trypanorhynch fauna off the Sultanate of Oman, a total of 188 bony fishes belonging to 16 species were studied, which led to the...     

The reproductive biology of Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål,1775) (Pisces: Lutjanidae) in Kenyan inshore marine waters

The testicular and ovarian maturation cycle of thedory snapper, Lutjanus fulviflamma(Forsskål) (Osteichthyes:Lutjanidae), acommercially valuable species in the western IndianOcean, is described macroscopically. The ovary wasalso studied microscopically. L. fulviflammahas one prolonged spawning season which begins fromNovember/December, lasting till April/May. Discontinuous spawning is established by (i) temporalvariation in the relative weight of testis andovaries, (ii) a seasonal occurrence of various maturitystages and, (iii) a seasonal occurrence of developingfish in the samples. Using volumetric andhistological techniques, the fecundity of this specieswas determined at 51,000 to 460,000 (mean: 167,000)oocytes in fish of between 17 to 30 cm total length,respectively. Oocyte recrudescence in the ovary isasyncronous, but the number and size of batches ofeggs released in a single spawning season are yet tobe determined.     

Taxonomic review of the genus Tambinia Stål (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Tropiduchidae) with descriptions of four new species from the Pacific region

Four new species of Tambinia Stål (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae), Tambinia conus sp. n. (Papua New Guinea), Tambinia macula sp. n. (Malaysia: Borneo), Tambinia robustocarina sp. n. (Malaysia: Sabah) and Tambinia sexmaculata sp. n. (Australia: Kuranda) are described and illustrated from the Pacific region. The diagnostic characters of this genus are redefined. A checklist and a key to the known species of Tambinia are provided.     

First record of the Lessepsian fish Siganus rivulatus (Forsskål & Niebuhr, 1775) in the Sea of Marmara (Izmit Bay,Turkey)

The marbled spinefoot, Siganus rivulatus (Forsskål&Niebuhr, 1775) was recorded for the first time in Izmit Bay, Sea of Marmara. One specimen was caught on 30 September 2019 by a small scale fisherman at depth of 25 m. The fish measured 151 mm in total length and weighted of 43.45 g. S. rivulatus is one of the Lessepsian immigrants who entered the Mediterranean more than half a century ago, and has now also easily adapted to the Sea of Marmara, which has a unique two-layered water system.     

A new species of Aberrapex Jensen, 2001 (Cestoda: Lecanicephalidea) from Taeniura lymma (Forsskål) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) from off Sabah, Malaysia

A new lecanicephalidean species of Aberrapex Jensen, 2001 is described from the blue-spotted fantail ray Taeniura lymma (Forsskål) collected off the eastern coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. This is the first record of a lecanicephalidean tapeworm from the island of Borneo and the first record of Aberrapex from this host species. A. manjajiae n. sp. is easily distinguished from its two congeners, A. senticosus Jensen, 2001 and A. arrhynchum (Brooks, Mayes & Thorson, 1981) Jensen, 2001, based on its overall smaller size (928–1,971 vs 1,485–6,333 and up to 3,350μm long, respectively) and fewer testes (10–19 vs 20–40 and 18–25, respectively). In addition, A. manjajiae n. sp. is readily distinguished from A. senticosus based on a more anteriorly positioned genital pore (76–85 vs 52–72% of proglottid length from posterior end) and its distal bothridial microthrix pattern. A. manjajiae n. sp. can be further distinguished from A. arrhynchum based on its smaller scolex (82–101 × 119–164 vs 177–186 × 233–326μm). The host distribution of Aberrapex is expanded from the Myliobatidae to include the Dasyatidae.     

Morphogenesis of sense organs and behavioural changes in larvae of the brown-marbled grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (Forsskål)

The morphogenesis of sense organs and related behavioural changes in the hatchery-reared brown-marbled grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus larvae were examined to gain better understanding of its early life history because ecological field observations for grouper species is difficult. The newly hatched larvae (2.1 mm total length) had developing eyes and otic vesicles, a pair of free neuromast on the head and ciliated olfactory epithelium. At 3 days post hatching (dph), the eyes became fully pigmented with pure-cone retinae, the semicircular canals formed in the inner ear, and the larvae (2.8 mm) were able to swim horizontally, preying on rotifers. Retinal rods and the intra-oral taste buds at pharyngeal appeared next. The olfactory lamellae and the head lateral line system then formed, and the inner ears developed completely in the larvae during the metamorphosis period (15–40 dph; 5.1–18.1 mm). At settlement (50 dph; 32.8 mm), the fish possessed taste buds in the mouth entrance region, and the lateral line system developed completely. The sensory development correlates well with the known aspects of its life history at sea whereby the larvae can feed early and avoid predators during the passive drift, are able to swim shoreward to search nursery ground along the metamorphosis stage and survive in seagrass beds at settlement.     

The phylogenetic position of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Choerodonicola</Emphasis> Cribb, 2005 (Digenea: Opecoelidae) with a partial life-cycle for a new species from the blue-barred parrotfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scarus ghobban</Emphasis> Forsskål (Scaridae) in Moreton Bay,Australia

Choerodonicola Cribb, 2005 is a minor genus of opecoelid trematodes defined for species with exceptionally small eggs but otherwise generalised morphology. Four species are currently recognised, all from fishes collected in Japanese waters but each from different perciform families: a labrid, a scarid, a sparid and pinguipeds. We report on a new species, Choerodonicola arothokoros n. sp., from the blue-barred parrotfish Scarus ghobban Forsskål (Scaridae) collected in subtropical waters of Moreton Bay, south-east Queensland, Australia. Using genetic sequence data for the ITS2 rDNA marker, we matched adult C. arothokoros to intramollsucan stages discovered in an intertidal gastropod Herpetopoma atratum (Gmelin) (Vetigastropoda: Chilodontidae) collected in close proximity to the fish hosts. Notably, the cercariae lack a penetration stylet and are among the smallest known in the Opecoelidae. We provide the first assessment of the phylogenetic position of Choerodonicola based on sequence data generated for the phylogenetically informative 18S and 28S rRNA coding regions, for C. arothokoros and also C. renko Machida, 2014, which we recollected from the yellowback seabream Dentex hypselosomus Bleeker from the fish market in Minabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In our analyses, species of Choerodonicola resolved to neither of the major marine Plagioporinae (sensu lato) clades, clustering instead with Trilobovarium parvvatis Martin, Cutmore & Cribb, 2017, Podocotyloides parupenei (Manter, 1963) Pritchard, 1966 and Macvicaria magellanica Laskowski, Je?ewski & Zdzitowiecki, 2013. This clade is phylogenetically distinctive such that it has the potential to be recognised as a new opecoelid subfamily, but further investigation is required to establish the bounds for such a grouping and to determine the morphological and/or life-history patterns reflected by the phylogeny. Finally, we propose C. interruptus (Manter 1954) n. comb. for a species previously recognised in Plagioporus Stafford, 1904 and known only from Pseudolabrus miles (Schneider & Forster), a labrid endemic to New Zealand.     

Cercarial chaetotaxy of Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae), with a review of the sensory patterns in the ‘revolutum’ group

Systematic Parasitology - The chaetotaxy of cercaria of the echinostome Echinostoma miyagawai, found in naturally infected Planorbis planorbis in a brackish water lake in Bulgaria, is described and...     

Resurrection of Indian Ocean humbug damselfish,Dascyllus abudafur (Forsskål) from synonymy with its Pacific Ocean sibling,Dascyllus aruanus (L.)

Previous phylogeographic studies of the humbug damselfish, a widespread Indo-West Pacific coral reef fish, have revealed a split of two main mitochondrial lineages distributed on either side of the Indo-Pacific barrier. This has been interpreted as the result of vicariance. It has been hypothesized that reproductive barriers might currently limit gene flow between humbug damselfish populations from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. In this study, we review the published phylogeographic information to update the distribution of the two main mitochondrial lineages of humbug damselfish. The Indian lineage was distributed from the Red Sea to the eastern extremity of the Sunda Shelf while the Pacific lineage, which diverged from the former by 0.6% net nucleotide divergence and diagnostic substitutions at three nucleotide sites at the cytochrome b locus, was distributed east and north of the Sunda Shelf. The two forms, which are also genetically distinct at nuclear loci, were also characterized by distinct pigmentation patterns. We argue that the two forms represent geminate species. Epithet aruanus Linnaeus is maintained for the Pacific Ocean humbug damselfish while epithet abudafur (Forsskål) is here resurrected for the Indian Ocean humbug damselfish. Future studies should focus on the population genetic structure of the transition zone between Dascyllus abudafur and D. aruanus.     

Accumulation of amyloplasts on the bottom of normal and inverted rhizome tips of Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) Lamouroux

Caulerpa prolifera (Chlorophyta) exhibits a gravimorphogenetic response to inversion by switching the site of new rhizoid initiations to correspond with the new direction of the gravity stimulus. When plants were fixed at 6 and 24 h after being held in either a normal or an inverted position the switch in the site of organ differentiation, upon inversion, was found to be preceded by the accumulation of starch-containing amyloplasts on the bottom of the rhizome. Approximately 1.5–2.0 times as many amyloplasts were found at the bottom of normal or inverted rhizomes as compared with the top in a region extending from 200 to 1,000 μm behind the rhizome tip. All new rhizoid initials were located in the region of amyloplast accumulation and each rhizoid initial contained numerous amyloplasts.     

Correction to: Species of Monogenoidea infecting the gill lamellae of the common silver-biddy Gerres oyena (Forsskål) and the common silver belly Gerres subfasciatus Cuvier (Perciformes: Gerreidae) in Moreton Bay,Queensland, Australia

Systematic Parasitology - During registration of specimens of Protogyrodactylus scalmophorus and Protogyrodactylus ichthyocercus for the Queensland Museum, it was noticed that the collection sites...     

The control of chiasma distribution in the locust,Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål)

Chiasma distribution at diplotene in Schistocerca gregaria males can be taken to indicate the positions at which crossing over occurred prior to diplotene since chiasma terminalisation is entirely absent. Analysis of chiasma frequency and position leads to a model for the mechanism controlling distribution which has three main components. — i) The bivalents vary in length between cells due to unknown factors and increase in bivalent length leads to an increase in chiasma frequency. — ii) Within bivalents chiasma initiation is sequential from telomere to centromere with the first chiasma usually forming close to the telomere. — iii) Interference operates with the same polarity and determines a distance within which crossing over is precluded.