Cetorhinicola n. g., Shirleyrhynchus n. g. and Stragulorhynchus n. g., three new genera of trypanorhynch cestodes from elasmobranchs in Australian waters

Three new genera of trypanorhynch cestodes are described from Australian elasmobranchs: Cetorhinicola acanthocapax n. g., n. sp. from Cetorhinus maximus (Gunner, 1765), with four bothridia joined by avelum, a typical heteroacanthous armature with the ends of the hook rows not meeting on the external surface, and enlarged hooks on the base of the tentacle; Shirleyrhynchus butlerae n. g., n. sp., from Dasyatis fluviorum Ogilby, 1908 and D. sephen (Forsskal, 1775), with four bothridia, typical heteroacanthous armature, enlarged basal hooks, testes in linear rows, and lacking seminal vesicles; Stragulorhynchus orectologi n. g., n. sp., from Orectolobus tentaculatus (Peters, 1864) (type-host), O. maculatus (Bonnaterre, 1788) and O. ornatus (de Vis, 1882), with four bothridia, poeciloacanthous armature, with a band of hooklets on the external surface of the tentacle, external seminal vesicle, hermaphroditic duct, accessory seminal vesicle and post-ovarian testes. None of the new genera is readily accommodated by the existing classification of the Trypanorhyncha: the first two genera are tentatively allocated to the Gilquiniidae and the last to the Gymnorhynchidae.     

Three new genera of trypanorhynch cestodes from Australian elasmobranch fishes

Three new genera of trypanorhynch cestodes from Australian elasmobranch fishes collected in the Arafura Sea, off the Northern Territory, are described. Fossobothrium perplexum n. g., n. sp. (Otobothriidae), from the spiral valves of Anoxypristis cuspidata (Latham) and Pristis zijsron Bleeker, is similar to the otobothriid genera Pseudotobothrium Dollfus, 1942 and Poecilancistrium Dollfus, 1929 in possessing bothrial pits and a band of hooks on the tentacle, but differs from all known otobothriid genera in having the pits joined by a prominent velum. Iobothrium elegans n. g., n. sp. (Otobothriidae), from the spiral valve of Himantura jenkinsi (Annandale), is placed in the Otobothriidae because it possesses bothrial pits, but differs from Otobothrium Linton, 1890 and other genera in lacking intercalary hooks between the principal rows and in possessing a chainette on the external surface of the tentacle in the metabasal region. Oncomegoides celatus n. g., n. sp. (Eutetrarhynchidae), from the spiral valve of Dasyatis microps (Annandale) and Himantura jenkinsi, resembles Oncomegas Dollfus, 1929 in possessing two bothria and a megahook on the bothrial surface of the basal armature, but differs in possessing an extra row consisting of four intercalary hooks formed by the overlapping of two intercalary hooks on the external tentacular surface between each of the opposing principal rows and is therefore an atypical heteroacanth.     

Macrobothridium rhynchobati n. g., n. sp. from the elasmobranch Rhynchobatus granulatus,representing a new family of diphyllidean cestodes,the Macrobothridiidae

Macrobothridium rhynchobati n. g., n. sp. from the guitarfish Rhynchobatus granulatus in Kuwaiti waters in the Arabian Gulf is described and figured. The new genus differs from Echinobothrium in having a short unarmed peduncle and a posterior sucker-like structure in the terminal proglottid. It differs from Ditrachybothridium in having a powerful rostellum with dorsal and ventral groups of hooks and in having unarmed bothridia. A new family, the Macrobothridiidae, assigned to the order Diphyllidea is erected. Larval forms are described and figured.     

Some trypanorhynch cestodes from Hawaiian fishes, with descriptions of four new species.

Examination of teleost and elasmobranch fishes for cestodes from the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands resulted in the recovery of 7 species of trypanorhynchs, 4 of which are new. The new species are Pseudogrillotia basipunctata, Pterobothrium hawaiiensis, Prochristianella micracantha, and Nybelinia basimegacantha. Tentacularia coryphaena Bosc 1797, Dasyrhynchus giganteus (Diesing 1859), and Parachristianella monomegacantha Kruse 1959 represent new host and distribution records. The family Pseudogrillotidae Dollfus 1969 is emended.     

Tunicothrix rostrata n. g., n. sp., a new urostylid ciliate (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia) from the Yellow Sea

The morphology and infraciliature of a new ciliate, Tunicothrix rostrata n. g., n. sp., isolated from the Yellow Sea, are investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Tunicothrix rostrata measures about 160 x 40 mum in vivo, and has a frontal beak-like protrusion, a conspicuous cortical alveolar layer, two right marginal rows, and usually three distinct midventral pairs. The discovery of T. rostrata enables us to reconsider the classification of Erniella wilberti, a curious ciliate with obscure midventral pairs. Both species are highly similar in overall appearance and nuclear and ciliary pattern. Thus, they are united in a new genus of the family Urostylidae, Tunicothrix, and E. wilberti is transferred to Tunicothrix: Tunicothrix wilbertiLin and Song, 2004 n. comb. By contrast, Erniella filiformis, type species of Erniella, has several ventral rows and does not belong to the urostylids. Tunicothrix rostrata is easily distinguished from T. wilberti by its beak-like anterior protrusion and by the distinctly elongated right marginal row 2, which curves anteriorly on the dorsal side of the cells. Tunicothrix is closely related to Parabirojimia, differing by the invariably two (vs. five-eight) right marginal rows and the conspicuous (vs. ordinary) alveolar layer, a unique feature in urostylid ciliates.     

Occurrence of a new microsporidan: Enterocytozoon bieneusi n.g., n. sp., in the enterocytes of a human patient with AIDS

A new microsporidium is reported infesting the enterocytes of a Haitian patients with AIDS. The stages observed were diplokaryotic cells, sporogonial plasmodia, unikaryotic sporoblasts, and spores. Neither a sporophorous vesicle (pansporoblastic membrane) nor parasitophorous vacuole were differentiated around the developmental stages, which were in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm. The polar tube (5-6 coils) was differentiated before fission of the sporogonial plasmodium. The mature spores measured 1.5 micron X 0.5 micron. The spore wall was very thin as the endospore was absent or poorly differentiated. The organism is named Enterocytozoon bieneusi n. g., n. sp. and is assigned to the suborder Apansporoblastina.     

Gilquiniid cestodes (Trypanorhyncha) from elasmobranch fishes off New Caledonia with descriptions of two new genera and a new species

Cestodes were collected from deep-sea sharks caught off New Caledonia, South Pacific. Vittirhynchus squali n. g., n. sp. (Trypanorhyncha: Gilquiniidae) is described from the spiral valve of Squalus melanurus Fourmanoir & Rivaton. The new genus possesses four bothria and a typical heteroacanthous metabasal armature but has a file of three macrohooks forming a short chainette on the internal surface of the basal armature. Sagittirhynchus aculeatus n. g., n. sp., from the spiral valve of Centrophorus sp. (undescribed), also has four bothria and a typical heteroacanthous armature but lacks a distinctive basal swelling and has the final hooks of each principal row prominently enlarged. Gilquinia minor n. sp., from the spiral valve of Centrophorus sp. (undescribed), is distinguished by the presence of only five hooks per principal row compared with eight in congeners. Gilquinia sp. is reported from Squalus melanurus. G. robertsoni Beveridge, 1990 is reported from S. megalops (Macleay).     

Cthulhu Macrofasciculumque n. g., n. sp. and Cthylla Microfasciculumque n. g., n. sp., a Newly Identified Lineage of Parabasalian Termite Symbionts

The parabasalian symbionts of lower termite hindgut communities are well-known for their large size and structural complexity. The most complex forms evolved multiple times independently from smaller and simpler flagellates, but we know little of the diversity of these small flagellates or their phylogenetic relationships to more complex lineages. To understand the true diversity of Parabasalia and how their unique cellular complexity arose, more data from smaller and simpler flagellates are needed. Here, we describe two new genera of small-to-intermediate size and complexity, represented by the type species Cthulhu macrofasciculumque and Cthylla microfasciculumque from Prorhinotermes simplex and Reticulitermes virginicus, respectively (both hosts confirmed by DNA barcoding). Both genera have a single anterior nucleus embeded in a robust protruding axostyle, and an anterior bundle flagella (and likely a single posterior flagellum) that emerge slightly subanteriorly and have a distinctive beat pattern. Cthulhu is relatively large and has a distinctive bundle of over 20 flagella whereas Cthylla is smaller, has only 5 anterior flagella and closely resembles several other parababsalian genera. Molecular phylogenies based on small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) show both genera are related to previously unidentified environmental sequences from other termites (possibly from members of the Tricercomitidae), which all branch as sisters to the Hexamastigitae. Altogether, Cthulhu likely represents another independent origin of relatively high cellular complexity within parabasalia, and points to the need for molecular characterization of other key taxa, such as Tricercomitus.     

Two amphistomes,Lobatodiscus australiensis n.g., n.sp. and Elseyatrema microacetabularis n.g., n.sp., from the Australian turtle Elseya dentata (Gray)

Summary Lobatodiscus australiensis n.g., n.sp. (family and subfamily uncertain) and Elseyatrema microacetabularis n.g., n.sp. (family Paramphistomidae, subfamily Dadaytrematinae?), from the intestine of the freshwater turtle Elseya dentata (Gray) in Queensland, Australia, are described. Lobatodiscus has a large lobed acetabulum, small oral diverticula which do not protrude out of the oral sucker, two pairs of lymph vessels and no oesophageal bulb. Elseyatrema has a small acetabulum, large protruding oral diverticula, an oesophageal bulb, juxtaposed testes, one pair of rudimentary lymph vessels and no cirrus-sac. ac]19830626     

A light and electron microscopical study of a new, polymorphic free-living amoeba, Phreatamoeba balamuthi n. g., n. sp

A new amoeba, isolated from well water in Gambia, West Africa, is described and named Phreatamoeba balamuthi n. g., n. sp. Requiring anaerobic conditions for growth, it is easily cultured monoxenically with Escherichia coli or axenically in complex, undefined organic media. Three phenotypes have been observed in the life cycle: an amoeba, a flagellate, and a cyst. The amoeba moves by monopodia, is predominantly multinucleate, and varies from 11 to 160 microns in length. The flagellate has a single flagellum and is from 6 to 50 microns long. The cyst is surrounded by a resistant wall that lacks pores and ranges from 9 to 18 microns in diameter. The transformation from amoeba to flagellate can be induced nutritionally, the exact inducing factor(s) being unknown. Sexual reproduction has not been observed.     

Erhardorina n. g., Ascogregarina polynesiensis n. sp., Eimeria golemanskii n. sp., Isospora tamariscini n. sp., Gregarina kazumii n. nom., new combinations and emendations in the names of apicomplexan protozoa

On the basis of a review of the approximately 4300 species of apicomplexan protozoa, the following new species, new names, new combinations, and emendations are given: NEW GENUS, Erhardovina; NEW SPECIES, Ascogregarina polynesiensis, Eimeria golemanskii, Isospora tamariscini; NEW NAME, Gregarina kazumii; NEW COMBINATIONS, Ascogregarina brachyceri (Purrini, 1980), Erhardovina euzeti (Lipa, 1981), E. scutovertexi (Erhardová, 1955), Haemorhormidium batrachi (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983); EMENDATIONS, Selenidium francianum (Arvy, 1952) Tuzet & Ormières, 1965, Pyxinioides bolitoides D. P. Henry, 1938, P. japonicus H. Hoshide, 1951, P. kamenote H. Hoshide, 1951, P. kurofuji H. Hoshide, 1951, P. oshoroensis H. Hoshide, 1951, P. pugetensis D. P. Henry, 1938, Gregarina levinei Haldar & Sarkar, 1980, Retractocephalus halticae Haldar, Chakraborty & Kundu, 1982, Cnemidospora schizophylli Tuzet & Guerin, 1947, Grebneckiella indica (Merton, 1911) Watson, 1916, Quadruspinospora atractomorphae Haldar & Chakraborty, 1978, Haemogregarina acipenseri Nawrotzky, 1914, H. lobianci Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912, H. yakimovikohlae Wladimiroff, 1910, Hepatozoon luehi (Sambon, 1909) Pessoa, Cavalheiro & de Souza, 1970, Eimeria beyerae Ovezmukhammedov, 1977, E. (?) gigantea (Labbé, 1896) Reichenow, 1921, E. (?) labbei Hardcastle, 1943, E. rufi Prasad, 1960, E. (?) scylii (Drago, 1902) Levine & Becker, 1933, Isospora corvi Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952, I. melopsittaci Bhatia, Chauhan, Arora & Agrawal, 1973, I. seicerci Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952, I. stomatici Chakravarty & Kar, 1944, I. triffitae Nukerbaeva & Svanbaev, 1973, Wenyonella mackinnonae Misra, 1947, Octosporella sanguinolentae Ovezmukhammedov, 1975, Lankesterella millani Alvarez Calvo, 1975, Sarcocystis woodhousei Dogel', 1916, Haemoproteus lari Yakunin, 1972, Babesia ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimoff & Shokhor, 1916), Theileria ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimov, 1916) Krylov, 1974, Haemohormidium batrachi (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983).     

Glauconema trihymene n. g., n. sp., a Hymenostome Ciliate from the Virginia Coast*

SYNOPSIS. Glauconema trihymene n. g., n. sp., a marine hymenostome ciliate, is described from the Virginia coast. Morphologic studies were made on specimens treated with the Chatton-Lwoff silver impregnation technic and on animals observed with the phase microscope. Particular attention is given to the buccal ciliature and its importance to generic assignment in the order Hymenostomatida.     

Description of two species of early branching dinoflagellates, Psammosa pacifica n. g., n. sp. and P. atlantica n. sp

In alveolate evolution, dinoflagellates have developed many unique features, including the cell that has epicone and hypocone, the undulating transverse flagellum. However, it remains unclear how these features evolved. The early branching dinoflagellates so far investigated such as Hematodinium, Amoebophrya and Oxyrrhis marina differ in many ways from of core dinoflagellates, or dinokaryotes. Except those handful of well studied taxa, the vast majority of early branching dinoflagellates are known only by environmental sequences, and remain enigmatic. In this study we describe two new species of the early branching dinoflagellates, Psammosa pacifica n. g., n. sp. and P. atlantica n. sp. from marine intertidal sandy beach. Molecular phylogeny of the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA and Hsp90 gene places Psammosa spp. as an early branch among the dinoflagellates. Morphologically (1) they lack the typical dinoflagellate epicone-hypocone structure, and (2) undulation in either flagella. Instead they display a mosa?c of dinokaryotes traits, i.e. (3) presence of bi-partite trychocysts; Oxyrrhis marina-like traits, i.e. (4) presence of flagellar hairs, (5) presence of two-dimensional cobweb scales ornamenting both flagella (6) transversal cell division; a trait shared with some syndineansand Parvilucifera spp. i.e. (7) a nucleus with a conspicuous nucleolus and condensed chromatin distributed beneath the nuclear envelope; as well as Perkinsus marinus -like features i.e. (8) separate ventral grooves where flagella emerge and (9) lacking dinoflagellate-type undulating flagellum. Notably Psammosa retains an apical complex structure, which is shared between perkinsids, colpodellids, chromerids and apicomplexans, but is not found in dinokaryotic dinoflagellates.     

Morphological and molecular characterisation of a new genus and species of acanthocephalan,Tenuisoma tarapungi n. g., n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) infecting red-billed gulls in New Zealand,with a key to the genera of the Polymorphidae Meyer, 1931

Systematic Parasitology - Acanthocephalans of the family Polymorphidae Meyer, 1931 are cosmopolitan parasites that infect the intestines of fish-eating birds and mammals. Polymorphid...