Pseudorhabdosynochus venus n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Epinephelus howlandi (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Pseudorhabdosynochus venus n. sp. is described from specimens collected from the gills of Epinephelus howlandi off Nouméa, New Caledonia, South Pacific. The male sclerotised quadriloculate organ of P. venus, 61–101 μm in internal length, has an anterior chamber with a thin anterior wall, a very short cone and a short posterior tube. The sclerotised vagina, 50–67 μm in total length, is composed of an anterior open trumpet, an S-shaped canal, a tear-shaped principal chamber and a spherical accessory chamber; all parts are heavily sclerotised. The two squamodiscs have 10–11 rows of separate rodlets and no central closed row of rodlets. P. venus is differentiated from all other species of Pseudorhabdosynochus by the spectacular morphology of its sclerotised vagina. It is the first diplectanid described from E. howlandi.

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Résumé Pseudorhabdosynochus venus n. sp. est décrit à partir de spécimens collectés sur les branchies de Epinephelus howlandi, pêché au large de Nouméa, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Pacifique Sud. L’organe tétraloculé sclérifié mâle de P. venus (longueur interne 61–101 μm), possède une chambre antérieure avec une fine paroi antérieure, un cône très court, et un tube postérieur court. Le vagin sclérifié, long de 50–67 μm, est composé d’une trompette antérieure ouverte, d’un canal en S, d’une chambre principale en larme, et d’une chambre accessoire sphérique; toutes les parties sont fortement sclérifiées. Les deux squamodisques ont 10–11 rangées d’osselets séparés, sans rangée centrale fermée. P. venus se différencie de toutes les autres espèces de Pseudorhabdosynochus par la morphologie spectaculaire de son vagin sclérifié. Il s’agit du premier Diplectanidae décrit chez E. howlandi.

     

Laticola dae n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Epinephelus maculatus (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Laticola dae n. sp. is described from specimens collected from the gill-filaments of the highfin grouper Epinephelus maculatus, a coral reef fish caught off Nouméa, New Caledonia, South Pacific. The species is characterised by a spoon-shaped sclerotised male copulatory organ, with four thin walls and 73–m in outer length, and a sclerotised vagina in form of a disc, 16–m in diameter, with a smaller hemisphere on one side. Laticola Yang et al., 2006 was described to accommodate diplectanids from Lates calcarifer (Centropomidae); this is the first Laticola described from a serranid. Other diplectanids, including several species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958, were also found on the same species of fish; specimens of L. dae represented about half of the diplectanids collected; all other species were rare.

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Résumé Laticola dae n. sp. est décrit à partir de spécimens collectés sur les filaments branchiaux de la loche grisette, Epinephelus maculatus, un poisson de récif corallien pêché au large de Nouméa, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Pacifique Sud. L’espèce est caractérisée par un organe copulateur mâle sclérifié en forme de cuiller, avec quatre parois fines, long de 73–m, et un vagin sclérifié en forme de disque, de diamètre 16–m, avec un hémisphère plus petit d’un côté. Laticola Yang et al., 2006 a été décrit pour rassembler des Diplectanidae de Lates calcarifer (Centropomidae) ; ceci est le premier Laticola décrit d’un Serranidae. D’autres Diplectanidae, y compris plusieurs espèces de Pseudorhabdosynochus, ont aussi été trouvés chez ce poisson ; les spécimens de L. dae représentaient environ la moitié des Diplectanidae récoltés, toutes les autres espèces étaient rares.

     

Four species of Pseudorhabdosynochus (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Gill diplectanid monogeneans from the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker) collected in the coral reef lagoon of New Caledonia, South Pacific, comprise four species. Very few monogeneans were found in most fish examined. Pseudorhabdosynochus dionysos n. sp. has a sclerotised vagina with a robust trumpet, a robust primary canal and two chambers of similar size; it is close to P. bacchus Sigura, Chauvet & Justine, 2007. P. viscosus n. sp. has a sclerotised vagina with a robust trumpet, long primary canal with an extremely thin wall and two small chambers, and a male quadriloculate organ with a characteristic thickening at the extremity of its cone. P. crassus n. sp., the most abundant species, has a sclerotised vagina with a thin-walled trumpet, thin-walled primary canal which is always coiled anteriorly and two small chambers. P. huitoe Justine, 2007, P. manifestus Justine & Sigura, 2007 and P. crassus have very similar sclerotised vaginae; however, species of this 'huitoe complex' can be distinguished by measurements of the haptoral hard parts. A few diplectanid specimens found in a single specimen of E. polyphekadion were attributed to P. huitoe, a species originally described from E. maculatus (Bloch) and also rarely found in E. cyanopodus Richardson in New Caledonia; specimens from these three fish species are morphologically indistinguishable.     

Two new species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958 (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the deep-sea grouper Epinephelus morrhua (Val.) (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Three species of monogeneans were collected from Epinephelus morrhua, a deep-sea grouper from the external slope of the coral reef, off New Caledonia, South Pacific, and are the first parasites recorded from this fish species. Pseudorhabdosynochus morrhua n. sp. is characterised by: a sclerotised vagina with small sclerotised chambers and a short secondary canal; squamodiscs with central rows of rodlets which form closed ovals; and a scaly tegument. P. variabilis n. sp. has: a male quadriloculate organ with a characteristic structure; a sclerotised vagina in which the primary canal, secondary canal and accessory structure are very long and the different parts have various arrangements in different specimens; its squamodiscs have central rows of rodlets which form closed circles; and a smooth tegument. A prominent vaginal structure, comparable to that of P. variabilis, has been found only in P. dolicocolpos Neifar & Euzet, 2007, but the species can be distinguished by details of the vagina and other structures. A species of Haliotrema Johnson & Tiegs, 1922 (Ancyrocephalidae) is reported but not described. Specimens of each of the three species were present in similar numbers.     

Pseudorhabdosynochus kasetsartensis n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the cloudy grouper Epinephelus erythrurus (Valenciennes) (Perciformes: Serranidae) in the lower Gulf of Thailand

Systematic Parasitology - Pseudorhabdosynochus kasetsartensis n. sp. is described from the gills of the cloudy grouper Epinephelus erythrurus (Valenciennes) caught in the lower Gulf of Thailand....     

Pseudorhabdosynochus argus n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Cephalopholis argus, P. minutus n. sp. and Diplectanum nanus n. sp. from C. sonnerati and other monogeneans from Cephalopholis spp. (Perciformes: Serranidae) off Australia and New Caledonia

Monogeneans from three species of Cephalopholis, namely C. argus, C. sonnerati and C. boenak, are described from fish caught off New Caledonia, South Pacific, with comparisons with material from off Queensland, Australia. Pseudorhabdosynochus argus n. sp. from C. argus is present off New Caledonia and Australia; it is characterised by its male quadriloculate organ with very elongate cone, and its sclerotised vagina with anterior trumpet, coiled primary canal and distal part with two chambers and an accessory part. C. boenak has no monogeneans off New Caledonia, but off Australia it harbours Pseudorhabdosynochus sp., a new species which is morphologically related to P. argus. P. minutus n. sp. from C. sonnerati is characterised by its minute body and a sclerotised vagina with two spherical chambers. Diplectanum nanus n. sp. from C. sonnerati is characterised by its very small funnel-shaped male copulatory organ and minute body. A new species, Haliotrema sp. from C. sonnerati is characterised by a very elongate tubular penis; it is distinct from H. cromileptis Young, 1968 (redescribed herein from specimens collected from Cromileptes altivelis off New Caledonia). The species described here include the first members of Pseudorhabdosynochus and the first diplectanids described from species of Cephalopholis. There is no evidence for a clade of Pseudorhabdosynochus species specific to members of Cephalopholis, since the species described here share similarities with other species from Epinephelus. However, it is suggested that the gill structure of Cephalopholis spp. imposes selection toward small body sizes for monogeneans.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudorhabdosynochus quadratus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the white-streaked grouper <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinephelus ongus</Emphasis> (Bloch) (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Gill diplectanid monogeneans from the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker) collected in the coral reef lagoon of New Caledonia, South Pacific, comprise four species. Very few monogeneans were found in most fish examined. Pseudorhabdosynochus dionysos n. sp. has a sclerotised vagina with a robust trumpet, a robust primary canal and two chambers of similar size; it is close to P. bacchus Sigura, Chauvet & Justine, 2007. P. viscosus n. sp. has a sclerotised vagina with a robust trumpet, long primary canal with an extremely thin wall and two small chambers, and a male quadriloculate organ with a characteristic thickening at the extremity of its cone. P. crassus n. sp., the most abundant species, has a sclerotised vagina with a thin-walled trumpet, thin-walled primary canal which is always coiled anteriorly and two small chambers. P. huitoe Justine, 2007, P. manifestus Justine & Sigura, 2007 and P. crassus have very similar sclerotised vaginae; however, species of this ‘huitoe complex’ can be distinguished by measurements of the haptoral hard parts. A few diplectanid specimens found in a single specimen of E. polyphekadion were attributed to P. huitoe, a species originally described from E. maculatus (Bloch) and also rarely found in E. cyanopodus Richardson in New Caledonia; specimens from these three fish species are morphologically indistinguishable.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Variola louti</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia

Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus n. sp. is described from specimens collected from the gills of Variola louti off Nouméa, New Caledonia, South Pacific. No diplectanid was found on V. albimarginata from the same location. The male sclerotised quadriloculate organ of P. hirundineus is 42 μm in internal length, with a long posterior tube; and the sclerotised vagina, 36 μm in length, is composed of a long tube with anterior open trumpet and two posterior, heavily sclerotised chambers. The two squamodiscs, each with 11–15 rows of rodlets and no central closed row of rodlets, are dissimilar in shape, the ventral being round and the dorsal being oval. By the morphology of its sclerotised vagina, P. hirundineus appears close to P. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938) but it is differentiated from it by the shape of its squamodiscs. Pseudorhabdosynochus spp. previously recorded from epinephelines are parasites of species of Epinephelus and Mycteroperca; this is the first species from a species of Variola.

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Résumé Résumé Pseudorhabdosynochus hirundineus n. sp. est décrit de spécimens récoltés sur les branchies de Variola louti au large de Nouméa, Nouvelle Calédonie, Pacifique sud. Aucun Diplectanidae n’a été trouvé chez V. albimarginata de la même origine. L’organe mâle sclérifié tétraloculé de P. hirundineus mesure 42μm de longueur interne et a un long tube postérieur, et le vagin sclérifié, long de 36μm, est composé d’un long tube avec une trompe antérieure et deux chambres postérieures très sclérifiées. Les deux squamodisques, chacun avec 11–15 rangées d’osselets et sans rangée close, sont de formes différentes, le ventral rond et le dorsal ovale. Par la morphologie de son vagin sclérifié, P. hirundineus semble proche de P. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938), mais s’en distingue par la forme de ses squamodisques. Les espèces de Pseudorhabdosynochus mentionnées auparavant chez les Epinephelinae étaient parasites d’espèces des genres Epinephelus et Mycteroperca; ceci est la première espèce chez Variola.

     

Parasite biodiversity in a coral reef fish: twelve species of monogeneans on the gills of the grouper Epinephelus maculatus (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia, with a description of eight new species of Pseudorhabdosynochus (Monogenea: Diplectanidae)

Coral reefs are known for their high level of biodiversity, but parasite biodiversity has not been evaluated. Cases such as Epinephelus maculatus, described here, show that the numerical estimation of parasite biodiversity in coral reefs could reach more than ten times the number of fish species; consequently, the extinction of certain fish species from endangered coral reefs would result in the co-extinction of at least ten times the number of parasite species. E. maculatus is a grouper of intermediate size (1-2 kg) and common in the coral reefs of New Caledonia, South Pacific. Based on the examination of more than 800 monogenean specimens, 12 species of monogeneans (ten diplectanids and two ancyrocephalids) were differentiated on the gills. These species of diplectanids have not been found in other epinephelines in the same area and thus are considered as specific to this host. In addition, three species of copepods, and isopod larvae, are present on the gills; E. maculatus thus has a total of 16 species of gill ectoparasites, which can be found together on a single individual fish. Diplectanids include Laticola dae Journo & Justine, 2006, which is the most abundant species representing about 50% of the specimens, and nine species which are rare, each representing 2-7% of the specimens: Diplectanum uitoe n. sp. and eight species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958. D. uitoe, provisionally attributed to Diplectanum Diesing, 1858, is characterised by a small conical penis with internal walls. Pseudorhabdosynochus auitoe n. sp., P. buitoe n. sp., P. cuitoe n. sp., P. duitoe n. sp., P. euitoe n. sp. and P. fuitoe n. sp. are differentiated on the basis of the morphology of the sclerotised vagina, but are very similar in other characteristics; P. guitoe n. sp. is characterised by a quadriloculate organ with very thick walls and a very small sclerotised vagina; and P. huitoe n. sp. is characterised by its sclerotised vagina and by very long ventral and dorsal haptoral bars. Two rare (2-3% of specimens) ancyrocephalids, Haliotrema epinepheli Young, 1969 and Haliotrema sp., are briefly described in relation to the male copulatory organs and haptoral bars; H. epinepheli is apparently a generalist species found in various epinephelines and other fish species. A table of the 50 species of diplectanids (Pseudorhabdosynochus, Laticola Yang et al., 2006, Echinoplectanum Justine & Euzet, 2006 and Diplectanum) from serranids is provided.     

Species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958 (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Epinephelus fasciatus and E. merra (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia and other parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, with a comparison of measurements of specimens prepared using different methods, and a description of P. caledonicus n. sp.

Species of Pseudorhabdosynochus were studied from fresh specimens collected from Epinephelus fasciatus and E. merra off New Caledonia, South Pacific, and specimens deposited in Museums. Experiments on two species demonstrated that the sclerotised hollow organs, such as the quadriloculate male copulatory organ and the vagina, may show differences in measurements of up to 50% when flattened. P. caledonicus n. sp. is described from E. fasciatus in New Caledonia, on which it is relatively rare; it is distinguished on the basis of the quadriloculate organ, which has a very thin anterior wall, the sclerotised parts of the vagina in form of a straight tube with a star-shaped lateral structure, and the squamodiscs composed of 11 open rows of rodlets. P. cupatus (Young, 1969) is redescribed from abundant material from E. fasciatus off New Caledonia (new geographical record) and compared with paratype specimens from Australia (from E. fasciatus and E. merra) and specimens from E. fasciatus in the Red Sea (both herein redescribed and figured); a specimen was also found on a slide from E. merra off Vanuatu. P. melanesiensis (Laird, 1958) is redescribed from material from E. merra off New Caledonia (new geographical record) and compared with type-specimens (herein redescribed and figured) from the same host off Vanuatu. The structure of the sclerotised vagina in P. cupatus and P. melanesiensis is very similar, with a thin-walled tube and a heavily sclerotised structure with three loculi. P. vagampullum (Young, 1969) is redescribed from the paratypes from E. merra from Australia, but was not found in New Caledonia; specimens included among its paratypes (from E. merra in Australia), but different, are herein attributed to Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 3. P. lantauensis (Beverley-Burton & Suriano, 1981) is redescribed from the paratype specimens from E. longispinis off Hong-Kong. A specimen found among the paratypes of P. cupatus belongs to a different species, herein designated as Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 1. Specimens from E. longispinis off Hong-Kong, previously attributed to P. cupatus, are attributed to another species, Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 2. The three species P. cupatus, Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 1 and Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 2 have in common a 'lamellosquamodisc' composed of central telescopic lamellae and peripheral rows of rodlets; they can be distinguished by the shape of the sclerotised vagina and measurements of the haptoral hard-parts. Specimens from E. longispinis off Hong-Kong, previously attributed to P. vagampullum, probably belong to a different species. Consequently, after these modified determinations, P. cupatus parasitises only E. fasciatus and E. merra, and P. melanesiensis and P. vagampullum parasitise only E. merra. With their wide geographical distribution and different species of Pseudorhabdosynochus in different localities, E. fasciatus and E. merra appear to represent excellent models for investigating monogenean biogeography in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.     

Pseudorhabdosynochus spp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the gills of Epinephelus spp. in Brazilian waters

Pseudorhabdosynochus sulamericanus n. sp. from the gills of Epinephelus niveatus has a reniform proximal region of the cirrus-bulb which is divided in four chambers and contains a large, round reservoir of the male accessory glands, a partly sclerotised vagina which is enclosed in a muscular funnel cap and squamodiscs with 15–16 open concentric rows of elements. P. beverleyburtonae (Oliver, 1984) is redescribed from E. marginatus with additional morphological data. These are the first reports of Pseudorhabdosynochus spp. in South American Atlantic waters, where the potentiality for the mariculture of Epinephelus spp. is currently being evaluated. Pseudorhabdosynochus hargisi (Oliver & Paperna, 1984) n. comb. is proposed for Diplectanum hargisi.     

Description of Pseudorhabdosynochus shenzhenensis n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) and redescription of P. serrani Yamaguti, 1953 from Epinephelus coioides off Dapeng Bay, Shenzhen, China

One new species of diplectanid, Pseudorhabdosynochus shenzhenensis n. sp., is reported and described from the marine fish Epinephelus coioides off Nan'ao, Shenzhen, China. It can be differentiated from previously described species of the same genus by features of the haptoral and vaginal hard-parts. A second species, P. serrani Yamaguti, 1953, originally described from Serranus sp. from the western Pacific Ocean off the Celebes (now called Sulawesi), is redescribed based on new material from E. coioides.     

Pseudorhabdosynochus summanoides n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Epinephelus coioides in Dapeng Bay, South China Sea, with observations on several similar species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958

One new species of diplectanid monogenean, Pseudorhabdosynochus summanoides n. sp., is reported and described from the marine fish Epinephelus coioides off Nan’ao Shenzhen, China. P. summanoides differs from its closest relative, P. summanae (Young, 1968), by the shape of its vaginal hard-parts, which have a tightly twisted distal region and an accessory patch on the proximal curve. During the course of this work, type-material of several species of Pseudorhabdosynochus was examined and aspects of the vagina and haptor are redescribed and/or figured. These species include P. americanus (Price, 1937), P. hargisi (Oliver & Paperna, 1984), P. amplidiscatus (Bravo-Hollis, 1954), P. epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938), P. riouxi (Oliver 1986), P. melanesiensis (Laird, 1958), P. cupatus (Young, 1969), P. bocquetae (Oliver & Paperna, 1984), P. kritskyi Dyer et al., 1995, P. capurroi Vidal-Martinez, 1998, P. querni (Yamaguti, 1968) and P. summanae (Young, 1969). Several closely related species are considered in terms of their conspecificity: P. hargisi is proposed as a junior synonym of P. americanus; P. capurroi is suggested as a likely synonym of P. kritskyi; and it is suggested that P. cupatus and P. bocquetae may eventually be demonstrated to be consepcific with P. melanesiensis.     

Monogeneans of the grouper Epinephelus tauvina (Perciformes, Serranidae) off Moorea, French Polynesia, with a description of Pseudorhabdosynochus pai n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae)

Specimens of the greasy grouper Epinephelus tauvina (Forssk?l), caught off Moorea, French Polynesia, harboured four species of gill monogeneans. The diplectanid Pseudorhabdosynochus pai n. sp. is characterised by an extremely big male quadriloculate organ (inner length 77 μm, cone length 15, tube length 47), the largest of all members of the genus, and a sclerotised vagina with a very complex structure, including three secondary chambers instead of one as in most species. Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. is a species of the ‘cupatus group’; this species is not formally described but various measurements are provided. The ancyrocephalid Haliotrema sp. and the capsalid Benedenia sp. were rare; they are both mentioned but not described. The diplectanid fauna of E. tauvina corresponds to the pattern already found in a clade of grouper species, the members of which often harbour both a species of the ‘cupatus group’ and another species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958.

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Résumé  Des spécimens du mérou Epinephelus tauvina (Forssk?l) pêchés à Moorea, Polynésie Fran?aise, hébergeaient quatre espèces de monogènes sur les branchies. Le Diplectanidae Pseudorhabdosynochus pai n. sp. est caractérisé par un organe tétraloculé male de très grande taille (longueur interne 77 μm, longueur du c?ne 15, longueur du tube 47), le plus grand de toutes les espèces du genre, et un vagin sclérifié à structure très complexe, comprenant trois chambres secondaires, au lieu d’une comme c’est le cas chez la plupart des autres espèces. Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. est une espèce du ‘groupe cupatus’ qui n’est pas formellement décrite, mais des mesures sont indiquées. Un Ancyrocephalidae, Haliotrema sp., et un Capsalidae, Benedenia sp., étaient rares, et sont mentionnés mais non décrits. La faune des Diplectanidae de E. tauvina correspond au patron déjà trouvé dans un clade d’espèces de mérous, dont les membres hébergent souvent à la fois une espèce du ‘groupe cupatus’ et une autre espèce de Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958.

     

A new species of nematode parasite,Cucullanus tunisiensis sp. nov. (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) from Epinephelus aeneus (Perciformes: Serranidae) off Tunisia

Cucullanus tunisiensis sp. nov., (Nematoda: Cucullanidae), collected from the intestine of the white grouper Epinephelus aeneus from waters off the coast of Tunisia is described based on light and scanning electron microscopic observations. The new species is characterized by the presence of lateral alae, ventral sucker, long unequal spicules (left spicule 2474-2789 μm long, right spicule 2357-2518 μm long). This is the sixth nominal species of the genus Cucullanus Müller, 1777 and the first representative of this genus infecting fishes of Serranidae family reported from Tunisian waters.

     

Three species of opisthomonorchiine monorchiids (Digenea) in Carangoides spp. (Perciformes: Carangidae) from off New Caledonia, with a description of Opisthomonorchis dinema n. sp.

Three opisthomonorchiinae species are described from fishes obtained at the Fish Market in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Opisthomonorchis dinema n. sp. from Carangoides dinema Bleeker differs from the other recognised species in the genus by the long recurved genital atrium, arcing anteriorly. Also described are Opisthomonorchis carangis Yamaguti, 1952 from Carangoides sp. and Pseudopisthomonorchis thapari (Varma & Singh, 1979) n. comb. for Opisthomonorchis thapari Varma & Singh, 1979 from Carangoides chrysophrys (Cuvier). The features distinguishing Opisthomonorchis Yamaguti, 1952 and Pseudopisthomonorchis Madhavi, 1974 are discussed.     

Diplectanids (Monogenea) parasitic on the gills of the coralgroupers Plectropomus laevis and P. leopardus (Perciformes, Serranidae) off New Caledonia, with the description of five new species and the erection of Echinoplectanum n. g.

Echinoplectanum n. g. is erected for diplectanids which have a male copulatory organ comprising a tubular sclerotised penis with a muscular reservoir at its proximal extremity and an protrusible cirrus, often with spiny ridges, at its distal extremity, and a female copulatory organ comprising a sclerotised vaginal sac, often with two thin tubes. All species have similar squamodiscs made of rows of rodlets, with the central rows forming closed circles, and haptoral parts with a similar shape but different measurements; they are distinguished on the basis of the size and morphology of the male copulatory organ and sclerotised vagina. Five new species are included in Echinoplectanum and are all parasites of coralgroupers, Plectropomus spp., off New Caledonia, South Pacific. Two are from P. laevis (Lacépède): E. laeve n. sp. (type-species) has a large elongate penis, 53[Formula: see text]m in length, a cirrus with spiny ridges and a spherical vagina with two long thin tubes; and E. chauvetorum n. sp. has a large elongate penis, 51[Formula: see text]m in length, a cirrus with thin spiny ridges, and a pear-shaped vagina with two short thin tubes. Three species are from P. leopardus (Lacépède): E. leopardi n. sp. has an elongate penis, 36[Formula: see text]m in length, an unspiny cirrus and a triangular vagina; E. pudicum n. sp. has a very small elongate penis 14[Formula: see text]m in length and no visible vagina; and E. rarum n. sp. has a short thick penis 18[Formula: see text]m in length and a ring-shaped vagina with two thin tubes. In addition, Diplectanum plectropomi Young, 1969, from P. maculatus off Western Australia, and D. echinophallus Euzet & Oliver, 1965 from Epinephelus marginatus in the Mediterranean Sea and Senegal, West Africa, both herein redescribed from the type-specimens, are transferred to Echinoplectanum, as E. plectropomi n. comb. and E. echinophallus n. comb., respectively. Six of the seven species of Echinoplectanum are parasitic in members of Plectropomus from the South West Pacific, but one (E. echinophallus) is a parasite of Epinephelus marginatus and has been recorded only from the Mediterranean and East Atlantic; it is suggested that Echinoplectanum is associated with Plectropomus, a basal genus among the epinephelines, and that host-switching to Epinephelus marginatus occurred, whose distribution extends from Europe to the Indian Ocean. Morphological characteristics of the copulatory organs suggest that a "chastity belt versus spiny penis" sperm competition pattern prevails in Echinoplectanum spp.     

Helicopsyche trispina sp. n. (Trichoptera,Helicopsychidae) from New Caledonia

Helicopsyche trispina sp. n. is described from Grande Terre, New Caledonia, based on pharate males, larvae and pupae. The species appears to belong to the monophyletic New Caledonian Helicopsyche clade.     

Monogeneans from <Emphasis Type=Italic>Epinephelus chlorostigma</Emphasis> (Val.) (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia,with the description of three new species of diplectanids

Gill monogeneans from the brownspotted grouper Epinephelus chlorostigma (Val.) collected in deep water off the coral barrier reef of New Caledonia, South Pacific, comprise seven species. These include the ancyrocephalid Haliotrema sp., the capsalid Allobenedenia cf. epinepheli Yamaguti, 1968, and five diplectanids, namely Pseudorhabdosynochus epinepheli (Yamaguti, 1938), reported in a previous paper, P. cyanopodus Sigura & Justine, 2008 and P. podocyanus Sigura & Justine, 2008, two species originally described from E. cyanopodus Richardson, P. stigmosus n. sp., P. exoticoides n. sp. and Diplectanum femineum n. sp. P. stigmosus is characterised by a sclerotised vagina with a straight primary canal, large ovoid primary chamber and spherical secondary chamber. P. exoticoides is a highly aberrant species, with a thick-walled male quadriloculate organ and a discoid sclerotised vagina with an exceptional structure. Interestingly, P. exoticoides resembles P. exoticus Sigura & Justine, 2008, a species from E. cyanopodus, and P. stigmosus resembles P. cyanopodus and P. podocyanus, also both from E. cyanopodus, suggesting close relationships between the diplectanid faunae of these two fish species. D. femineum belongs to a group of diplectanids, provisionally classified as ‘Diplectanum’ Diesing, 1858, which all share a small funnel-shaped male copulatory organ. In contrast to other members of this group which have no sclerotised vagina, D. femineum has a sclerotised vagina with the same organisation as those of species of Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958. This suggests that the species of ‘Diplectanum’ from groupers are closer to Pseudorhabdosynochus than suggested by the structure of the male organs.