Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) bodiani n. sp. and Cucullanus hansoni Olsen, 1952 (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) from fishes off New Caledonia

Two species of cucullanid nematodes collected from the intestine of marine fishes off New Caledonia were studied with the use of light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM): Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) bodiani n. sp. from Bodianus perditio (Quoy & Gaimard) (Perciformes: Labridae), characterised mainly by the small size of the body (males and gravid females 2.26–3.13 mm and 2.46–3.32 mm long, respectively), the presence of very long spicules (1.53–1.66 mm in length), the remarkably large seminal vesicle and the arrangement of caudal papillae, is the second known species of Dichelyne Jägerskiöld, 1902 parasitising fishes of the Labridae and the second nominal species of this genus recorded from fishes in New Caledonian waters. Cucullanus hansoni Olsen, 1952, originally described from Hawaii, is now, after 67 years, again reported from its type-host, Sufflamen fraenatum (Latreille) (Tetraodontiformes: Balistidae), from off New Caledonia. The SEM examination of C. hansoni, used in this species for the first time, revealed some new morphological details, such as the presence of a median precloacal cuticular elevation or the shape of deirids and distal tips of spicules, as well as the exact location of caudal papillae and phasmids in the male. This is the seventh species of Cucullanus Müller, 1777 recorded from fishes off New Caledonia.

     

A new species of Cucullanus (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) parasitizing Conger orbignianus (Pisces: Congridae) from Argentinean waters

In total, 17 specimens of Conger orbignianus Valenciennes, 1847 from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38 degrees 08'S, 57 degrees 32'W) were examined for parasitic nematodes. A new nematode species, Cucullanus pedroi n. sp., is described (prevalence 76.5%, x intensity +/- SD = 3.8 +/- 2.7). The new species closely resembles some species parasitizing other anguilliform fishes; however, it can be distinguished from most of its congeners by the distribution pattern of caudal papillae (particularly fourth and eight pairs) and phasmids. Those congeners with similar pattern of papillae differ from the new species by the length of the spicules and gubernaculum and by the position of the excretory pore and deirids.     

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.

     

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 microm 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 microm 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.     

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.

     

A new species of Dichelyne (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) parasitizing Acanthistius brasilianus (Pisces: Serranidae) from Argentinean waters

During a parasitological examination of 45 specimens of Acanthisthius brasilianus (Valenciennes, 1828) Jordan et Eigenmann, 1890, from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38 degrees 08'S, 57 degrees 32'W), several specimens of cucullanid nematodes were collected from the intestines. A new species, Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) szidati n. sp., is described (prevalence 42.2%, mean intensity 2.7). The new species differs from its congeners inhabiting the southwestern Atlantic by the distribution pattern of caudal papillae, particularly the ninth pair, length of the body and spicules, and the position of the intestinal cecum (ventral), the excretory pore (posterior to esophagus), and the deirids (at the level of esophageal posterior end).     

Cucullanus bonaerensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) parasitizing Urophycis brasiliensis (Pisces: Phycidae) from Argentinean waters

A total of 8 specimens of Urophycis brasiliensis (Kaup, 1858) from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38 degrees 08'S, 57 degrees 32'W), were examined for parasitic nematodes. A new nematode species, Cucullanus bonaerensis n. sp., is described (prevalence 50%, mean intensity 15.5). The new species differs from its congeners in the distribution pattern of caudal papillae (particularly fourth pair) and phasmids, length of the body and spicules, and by the position of the excretory pore (in the posterior third of esophagus). Species of Cucullanus, reported previously as C. heterochrous Rudolphi, 1812, and Cucullanus sp. from U. brasiliensis from Puerto Quequén, Argentina (38 degrees 37'S, 58 degrees 53'W), are considered as members of the new species.     

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.     

Henneguya tunisiensis n. sp. (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida), a new gill parasite of Symphodus tinca (L.) (Teleostei: Labridae) off Tunisia

Henneguya tunisiensis n. sp., a new myxosporean, is described from the gill-arches of the East Atlantic peacock wrasse Symphodus tinca (L.) collected from off the Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia. It is characterised by the presence of elongate white plasmodia of 1–1.5 × 1.5–2 mm in size. The mature spores are rounded in frontal view and have two identical polar capsules and two caudal appendages which taper considerably at the end. Both light and electron microscopical data show that this species differs in several morphological features from all previously described Henneguya spp. A molecular analysis, based on 18S rDNA sequence data, indicates that H. tunisiensis n. sp. is readily distinguishable from other myxozoan DNA sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetically, the new species is placed in the marine Henneguya clade, which is a sister group of marine Myxobolus spp. from perciform fishes in Tunisian waters.     

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.     

Correction to: Plectranthias kojii sp. nov., a new perchlet (Perciformes: Serranidae: Anthiinae) from Okinawa,Japan

Ichthyological Research - Plectranthias kojii sp. nov. (Perciformes: Serranidae) is described from a single specimen [49.4 mm in standard length (SL)] collected from 150 m depth off Hamahiga-jima...     

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,...     

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode Oscheius safricana n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) from South Africa

In a recent entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) survey in the North West province of South Africa, Oscheius safricana was isolated from soil samples using the Galleria mellonella bait method. Morphological studies using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), D2\D3 expansion segments of the large subunit rDNA gene (LSU) and concise small subunit rDNA gene (SSU), revealed that it was a new species, described herein as Oscheius safricana n. sp. Oscheius safricana n. sp. was characterised by unique ribosomal DNA sequences, amphidelphic reproduction, six separate lips each two bristle-like sensillae, narrow pharynx, valvated basal bulb, lateral field with four lines, leptoderan and closed bursa and fused spicules. This EPN belongs to the group Insectivorus and is morphologically closest to O. necromenus, O. chongmingensis and O. carolinensis. Oscheius safricana n. sp. is symbiotically associated with Serratia marcescens strain MCB.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:642E1B7E-B88F-4CE0-9D06-4FA9ECA48847     

A new species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the sand perch Diplectrum formosum (Serranidae) off Florida, northern Gulf of Mexico

A new nematode species, Philometra diplectri n. sp. (Philometridae), is described from male and female specimens found in unidentified tissues of head and anterior trunk (males) and subcutaneously in the mouth and under the operculum (females) of sand perch, Diplectrum formosum (Linnaeus) (Serranidae, Perciformes), from the northern Gulf of Mexico off Florida (Florida Middle Grounds). Based on light and scanning electron microscopy examination, the new species differs from other congeners parasitizing the subcutaneous tissues, fins, tissues of the buccal cavity, and gill covers or gill arches of marine and brackish-water fishes, mainly in having 8 conspicuously large cephalic papillae of the external circle, the absence of caudal projections, and the shape and small size of the anterior inflation of the esophagus in gravid females, and in possessing 5 pairs of caudal papillae and spicules 66-78 μm long in males. Philometra diplectri is the first known species of this genus whose gravid females are parasitic in the head tissues of serranid fishes.     

Temporal distribution and population structure of two congeneric species of Cucullanus (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) in Orthopristis ruber in Venezuela

The qualitative and quantitative parameters of temporal distribution of Cucullanus tripapillatus and Cucullanus chrysophrydes in the intestine of Orthopristis ruber in the Caribbean Sea on the north of Margarita Island, Venezuela were analysed. A total of 540 fish were collected at random from the catch of commercial trawlers during 1982-83 and 1992-93. Both species of Cucullanus were found throughout the year; prevalence and mean intensity of C. tripapillatus were higher than that of C. chrysophrydes. A significant difference was found in infection between the two years of sampling. Female worms were more abundant than male in both years. Both species exhibited pronounced prevalence and maturity in September and March of each year, indicating seasonality. The patterns of occurrence of the two species of Cucullanus in O. ruber did not change in the 10-year interval but the host size and number of parasites declined, which may be due to over-exploitation of definitive fish hosts.     

Complete mitochondrial genome of the longtooth grouper Epinephelus bruneus (Perciformes, Serranidae)

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) genome for the longtooth grouper, Epinephelus bruneus (Perciformes, Serranidae). This mt genome, consisting of 16,686 base pairs (bp), encoded genes for 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a noncoding control region as those found in other vertebrates, with the gene order identical to that of typical vertebrates. A major noncoding region between the trnP and trnF genes (991 bp) was considered to be the control region (D-loop). Within this sequence, 22 copies of a 17-bp tandem repeat element, 5'-TGATATTACATATATGC-3', were identified in the control region unlike previous reported Epinephelus species.