A new species of Malmiana (Oligochaeta: Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from tidepool fishes in northern California

Malmiana buthi n. sp. is described from the body and fins of the fluffy sculpin, Oligocottus snyderi, the tidepool sculpin, Oligocottus maculosus, and the woolly sculpin, Clinocottus analis, collected from tidepools at Horseshoe Cove on the Bodega Marine Reserve in Sonoma County, California. Prevalence of the leech was 32.6% on live-caught O. snyderi; mean intensity on O. snyderi was 3.3 leeches per fish, with a range from 1 to 7. The leech is not known to exceed 8 mm total length. The body is smooth, lacking papillae, tubercles, or pulsatile vesicles. Two pairs of crescentiform eyes are present on the oral sucker, and 1 pair of punctiform eyes occurs on the second annulus of the trachelosome. The caudal sucker has 14 small punctiform ocelli spaced evenly around the margin. The last 9 segments of the urosome have pairs of large punctiform ocelli both dorsally and ventrally. Body and caudal sucker pigmentation is uniformly reddish brown dorsally and ventrally with segental, lateral, unpigmented areas on both the urosome and trachelosome; pigmentation on the oral sucker is in the form of a cross. There are 5 pairs of testisacs; accessory gland cells on the atrial cornua and vector tissue are absent.     

A new species of marine leech (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from giant kelpfish, Heterostichus rostratus Girard, in southern California

Collections of giant kelpfish at inner Cabrillo Beach, San Pedro, California revealed the presence of an undescribed species of Heptacyclus, described here as Heptacyclus cabrilloi n. sp. The leech is small, only up to 14 mm total length including suckers; it has 2 pair of slightly crescentiform eyes on the oral sucker, 1 pair of punctiform ocelli on the second annulus of the trachelosome, 13 pairs of punctiform ocelli dorsally and ventrally on the urosome, and 14 marginal punctiform ocelli on the caudal sucker. Pigmentation is yellowish-tan with an unpigmented mid-dorsal stripe on both trachelosome and urosome, and with unpigmented halos around eyespots and urosome ocelli. Male reproductive system with 5 pairs of large, spherical testisacs. Mycetomes present, accessory gland cells on atrial cornu absent. Prevalence was 24.1% in June, 2011 with a range of 1-2 leeches per fish and 25.8% in October, 2011 with a range of 1-6 leeches per fish.     

Two new species of Austrobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from Chile

Austrobdella coliumicus n. sp. is described from Coliumo Bay, Chile. It is characterized by a continuous, external coelomic canal (= marginal lacuna), 5 pairs of testisacs, accessory gland cells, a body not distinctly divided into trachelosome and urosome, 2 pairs of dorsal ocelli on the trachelosome, dorsal and ventral segmental ocelli present on the urosome, green overall pigmentation with transverse brown bands, and the absence of conducting tissue. Austrobdella coliumicus is distinguished from other species of Austrobdella by the presence of 2 pairs of ocelli on the trachelosome and a more cylindrical body. It is unusual that this leech was collected from inside the mantle cavity of the razor clam, Ensis macha. Austrobdella losmoliniensis n. sp. is described from the electric ray, Discopyge tschudii, collected at Los Molinos, Chile. It is characterized by a continuous, external coelomic canal; 5 pairs of testisacs; accessory gland cells; a body distinctly divided into trachelosome and urosome; 1 pair of eyes on the oral sucker; overall black pigmentation with unpigmented areas; and the absence of conducting tissue. Austrobdella losmoliniensis can be distinguished from other species of Austrobdella by the combination of 1 pair of eyes on the oral sucker and black pigmentation.     

The life cycle of Australapatemon magnacetabulum (Digenea: Strigeidae) from Northwestern Argentina

The life cycle of Australapatemon magnacetabulum Dubois, 1988 was resolved experimentally. Planorbid snails Biomphalaria tenagophila (d'Orbigny, 1835) collected in a small pond at the confluence of the San Lorenzo and Arias Rivers, near Salta City, Province of Salta, Argentina, were found to be shedding furcocercous cercariae possessing 4 pairs of penetration glands, 1 pair of unpigmented eyespots, 6 pairs of flame cells in the body, and 1 pair in the tail stem. Metacercariae were found encysted in naturally, and experimentally, exposed leeches Helobdella adiastola Ringuelet, 1972, Helobdella triserialis (Blanchard, 1849), Haementeria eichhorniae Ringuelet 1978, and Haementeria sp., and within their sporocysts in naturally infected planorbid intermediate hosts. Sexually mature adults were recovered from domestic chicks and a duck 8-28 days postexposure by metacercariae from leeches. The identification of the species was based upon the characteristic large ventral sucker and a genital cone, crossed by a hermaphroditic duct with internal folds, occupying approximately a 1/4 to 1/5 of the hindbody.     

A new species of Mysidobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from mysids along the California coast

Mysidobdella californiensis n. sp. is described from the mysid Holmesimysis sculpta from Bodega Bay on the central California coast and from Holmesimysis costata var. from San Pedro on the southern California coast. The internal anatomy of M. californiensis is similar to that of the only other species in the genus, Mysidobdella borealis from the north Atlantic Ocean, except that M. californiensis lacks the medial, unpaired seminal receptacle present in M. borealis. Externally, M. californiensis is slightly larger and more robust than M. borealis, with a much larger caudal sucker. The most striking difference between the species is the unusually large, trumpet-shaped, fluted oral sucker in M. californiensis. At Bodega Bay, the prevalence of M. californiensis on its host was 17% with an average intensity of 1.46 (range 1-3) leeches per host.     

Rhopalobdella japonica n. gen., n. sp. (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) from Dasyatis akajei (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatididae) in the northwestern Pacific

A new genus and species of piscicolid leech in the Platybdellinae inhabits the oral cavity of Dasyatis akajei in the northwestern Pacific Ocean near Tanabe, Japan. The genus Rhopalobdella n. gen. is characterized externally by very small oral and caudal suckers and a smooth body that is widest just posterior to the clitellum. Eyespots and ocelli are lacking. The coelom is spacious with large segmental connecting sinuses between dorsal and ventral sinuses. There are 5 pairs of testisacs, an unusually extensive epididymis, and a very large bursa. Conducting tissue is absent. There are 2 pairs of esophageal diverticula and very well developed nephridia. Rhopalobdella japonica n. gen. n. sp. is characterized by a urosome that tapers strongly to the caudal sucker and by a single gonopore; the common oviduct opens into the posterior portion of the bursa. The coelomic and excretory systems resemble Aestabdella, but in other respects the genera are quite different. This is the first marine leech reported from rays in the northwestern Pacific.     

Observations on Haemogregarina balli sp. n. from the Common Snapping Turtle,Chelydra serpentina*

SYNOPSIS. Haemogregarina balli sp. n. is described from the blood and organs of the common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina and from the gastric and intestinal ceca of the presumed invertebrate hosts, the leeches Placobdella parasitica and Placobdella ornata. In the peripheral blood of the turtle, male and female gametocytes and immature erythrocytic schizonts are found within erythrocytes. The maturation of erythrocytic schizonts containing 6–8 merozoites is recorded from liver imprints. Schizonts with 13–25 merozoites are found in various cells of the liver, lung and spleen. In the gastric ceca of the leeches the host erythrocytes are digested, releasing the gametocytes and immature erythrocytic schizonts. Immature erythrocytic schizonts degenerate. Association of the gametocytes occurs in the intestinal ceca. The microgametocyte apparently gives rise to 4 nonmotile microgametes, one of which fertilizes the macrogamete while the other remain as condensed, residual nuclei on the periphery of the developing oocyst. The oocyst increases in size with maturity. A mature oocyst produces 8 sporozoites from a single germinal center. Sporozoites liberated from the oocyst are found in the tissues of the leech. Transovarial transmission of the parasite does not occur in the turtle. Attempts at experimental transmission failed. Previously unfed (control) leeches were negative for the parasite. Haemogregarina balli is compared with other haemogregarines described from C. serpentina. Features of species of Haemogregarina and Hepatozoon as well as the taxonomy of these genera are discussed.     

Paraoistosomum novaeguineae n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea) from a New Guinea crocodile: a surprising relative of the enigmatic Oistosomum caduceus Odhner, 1902

Paraoistosomum novaeguineae n. gen., n. sp. is described based on specimens from the kidneys of a New Guinea crocodile Crocodylus novaeguineae collected in Papua New Guinea. The body shape and the topology of most internal organs of the new species are strongly reminiscent of Oistosomum caduceus Odhner 1902, the sole member of Oistosomum, a genus of unclear phylogenetic relationships and systematic position described from the Nile crocodile in Sudan in 1902 and never reported since then. At the same time, the new species has a number of significant differences from Oistosomum caduceus. Among them are much shorter intestinal ceca, a relatively larger ventral sucker, ovary anterolateral to ventral sucker (posterolateral in O. caduceus ), vitellaria arranged in 2 clusters of loosely organized follicles at the level of ventral sucker (2 narrow long lateral fields in O. caduceus ), much longer esophagus, and other characters. Most importantly, the new species has the genital pore situated at the anterior body end adjacent to the oral sucker, whereas O. caduceus has the genital pore in front of the ventral sucker. These dramatic differences suggest establishment of a new genus for the species from Papua New Guinea. The anatomy of P. novaeguineae n. gen., n. sp. suggests that these genera may not belong to the Plagiorchiidae, the current familial allocation of Oistosomum. Scarcity of material and lack of molecular data do not permit clarification of this problem at the present time.     

中华血簇虫的生活史研究 Ⅰ.中华血簇虫在鳖穆蛭中的发育

中华血簇虫是湖北产的中华鳖体内发现的一种寄主虫。在其生活史发育中,存在着两种寄主的交替。本文只介绍它在无脊椎动物寄主——鳖穆蛭体中的发育情形。这一时期包括两个阶段:配子生殖和孢子生殖。配子生殖的特点是,两性配子母细胞先融合,然后才进行配子分化,产生4个雄配子核,其中1个核与雌配子核受精,形成合子核。孢子生殖以单核卵囊的核分裂开始,最后形成含8个裸子孢子的成熟卵囊,并解体释放出子孢子。整个过程都发生在蛭消化道内。脊椎动物寄主的感染,很可能是因为吃下含成熟子孢子的无脊椎动物寄主而引起的。     

New genus and species of Aporocotylidae (Digenea) from a basal actinopterygian, the American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, (Acipenseriformes: Polyodontidae) from the Mississippi Delta

Acipensericola petersoni n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Aporocotylidae) infects the heart of the American paddlefish Polyodon spathula (Walbaum, 1792) in the Mississippi Delta. It has robust, spike-like body spines arranged in ventrolateral transverse rows; a bowl-shaped anterior sucker centered on the mouth and having minute spines on the inner anteroventral surface only; a pharynx; an inverse U-shaped ceca extending to near the posterior body end; intercecal testes comprising a pre-ovarian testicular column plus a single testis posteriorly; an extensively lobed ovary located medially and immediately posterior to the testicular column; a spherical ootype that is intercecal and post-ovarian; a Laurer's canal; and a common genital pore. The new species is the first-named aporocotylid collected from a basal actinopterygian. It resembles the chondrichthyan aporocotylids Chimaerohemecus trondheimensis, Orchispirium heterovitellatum, and Hyperandrotrema cetorhini in having an inverse U-shaped ceca, but it is morphologically most similar to the anguilliform aporocotylid Paracardicoloides yamagutii in having that feature plus a comparable anterior sucker, a single testis posteriorly, an intertesticular ovary, and a common genital pore. Sequence data for the complete small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S) do not refute its membership within Aporocotylidae nor its affinity to 1 of those aforementioned aporocotylids: A. petersoni was basal to the few teleost aporocotylids analyzed, and C. trondheimensis was the only taxon basal to A. petersoni. We regard the specimens of Spirorchis sp. previously reported from the shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum Lesueur, 1818 as congeneric with the new species.     

Observations on the leech Placobdella ornata feeding from bony tissues of turtles

The leech Placobdella ornata was observed feeding from the blood sinuses of the plastron and carapace bones of Chelydra serpentina and Chrysemys picta. Evidence of successful feeding included blood upwelling from the point of attachment and gastric ceca of the leeches freshly filled with blood after removal. There was an apparent preference for the sulci between scales of the shell.     

A new genus and species of cryptogonimid from Lutjanus spp. (Pisces: Lutjanidae) on the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia

Lobosorchis tibaldiae n. gen. and n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) is described from the intestine, pyloric ceca, and rectum of 2 species of Lutjanus (Pisces: Lutjanidae), Lutjanus carponotatus and Lutjanus fulviflamma, from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, and New Caledonia. The genus is tentatively placed in the Neochasminae and is distinguished within the Cryptogonimidae by the combination of follicular testes, oral spines, and vitelline follicles restricted to the anterior region of the body not extending posteriorly to the ventral sucker.     

Discovery of Maritrema jebuensis n. sp. (Digenea: Microphallidae) from the Asian Shore Crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, in Korea

Maritrema spp. (Digenea: Microphallidae) are parasites of birds, but have not been found in the Republic of Korea. In this study, metacercariae of Maritrema sp. were discovered in the Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, caught in the mud-flats of Jebu-do, Hwasung-gun, Gyeonggi-do, and the adult flukes were confirmed by experimental infection into mice. Based on the symmetric ribbon-like vitellarium, adult flukes of Maritrema sp. were identified, but did not belong to previously described species in terms of the following morphologic characteristics: ceca reaching to the lateral wall at the anterior border of the ovary; ventral sucker larger than oral sucker; a prominent metraterm; and vitellarium forming a complete ring. Hence, we named this microphallid M. jebuensis n. sp. after the island where the second intermediate hosts were collected. From this study, it has been shown that Maritrema sp. is distributed in Korea and transmitted by the Asian shore crab, H. sanguineus.     

Surface ultrastructure of the plagiorchid trematode Glossidium pedatum Looss, 1899 from bagrid fish in Egypt

The present study concerned the morphology and surface ultrastructure of a plagiorchid, Glossidium pedatum, from bagrid fish of the river Nile in Egypt. Adult G. pedatum have an elongate body, tapered towards the anterior and posterior ends. Their oral sucker is small, sub‐terminal and rounded, measuring 0.200 mm in diameter. Sensory papillae around the oral sucker usually occur in small clusters of three to eight each. The ventral sucker is large, situated at the anterior end of the second third of the body, 0.299 mm in diameter, and is surrounded by three pairs of sensory papillae. Both suckers have rounded rims covered by tegumental spines. On the anterior part of the ventral surface of the body tegumental spines are small, pointed and closely spaced. A small triangular area of tegument anterior to the ventral sucker is devoid of spines. Tegumental spines on the mid‐region of the body slightly increase in size and number, especially towards the lateral aspects and posterior to the ventral sucker. Towards the posterior end of the body the spines progressively decrease in both size and number. The dorsal side exhibits similar surface features but the spines are less numerous and slightly smaller.     

A new species of Mesocoelium (Digenea: Mesocoeliidae) found in Rhinella marina (Amphibia: Bufonidae) from Brazilian Amazonia

Mesocoelium lanfrediaesp. nov. (Digenea: Mesocoeliidae) inhabits the small intestine of Rhinella marina (Amphibia: Bufonidae) and is described here, with illustrations provided by light, scanning electron microscopy and molecular approachs. M. lanfrediae sp. nov. presents the typical characteristics of the genus, but is morphometrically and morphologically different from the species described previously. The main diagnostic characteristics of M. lanfrediae sp. nov. are (i) seven pairs of regularly-distributed spherical papillae on the oral sucker, (ii) ventral sucker outlined by four pairs of papillae distributed in a uniform pattern and interspersed with numerous spines, which are larger at the posterior margin and (iii) small, rounded tegumentary papillae around the opening of the oral sucker, which are morphologically different from those of the oral sucker itself, some of which are randomly disposed in the ventrolateral tegumentary region of the anterior third of the body. Addionally, based on SSU rDNA, a phylogenetic analysis including Brachycoeliidae and Mesocoeliidae taxa available on GenBank established the close relationship between M. lanfrediae sp. nov. and Mesocoelium sp.     

The juvenile hormone analog pyriproxyfen affects ecdysteroid-dependent cuticle melanization and shifts the pupal ecdysteroid peak in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

The control of the pupal melanization in the honey bee by ecdysteroids, and the modulation of these processes by a juvenile hormone analog were investigated by a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments. Injection of 1-5 microg of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) into unpigmented pupae showed a dose- and stage-dependent effect. The higher the dose and the later the injection was performed, the more pronounced was the delay in cuticle pigmentation. This inhibition of cuticular melanization by artificially elevated ecdysteroid titers was corroborated by in vitro experiments, culturing integument from unpigmented, dark-eyed pupae for 1-4 days in the presence of 20E (2 or 5 microg/ml culture medium). Topical application (1 microg) of pyriproxyfen to unpigmented, white-eyed pupae had the opposite effect, leading to precocious and enhanced melanization of the pupal cuticle. In vitro incubation of integuments in the presence of this juvenile hormone analog (1 microg/ml) confirmed these results, showing that pyriproxyfen is apparently capable of triggering melanization. The in vivo mode of action of pyriproxyfen was further investigated by quantifying hemolymph ecdysteroids by radioimmunoassays. Topical application leads to a delay of the pupal ecdysteroid peak by 4 days. The pyriproxyfen-induced low ecdysteroid titers during early pupal development could account for precocious pigmentation by removing an inhibition on prophenoloxidase activation normally imposed by the elevated ecdysteroid titer during this phase.