Macvicaria taksengi n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) in marine teleosts from Pinang,Malaysia

Summary A new species, Macvicaria taksengi (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae), is described from the fishes Otolithes ruber and Sillago sihama from Pinang, Malaysia. It differs from most other members of the genus in the position of the ovary relative to the testes and the anterior position of the genital pore. A brief discussion on the Indo-West Pacific forms of the genus Macvicaria and related genera includes references to several new combinations: M. [Lebouria] isaitschikowi (Layman, 1930), M. [Plagioporus] sillagonis (Yamaguti, 1938), M. [Plagioporus] chrysophrys (Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1969) and M. [Plagioporus (Plagioporus)] longisaccus (Fischthal & Kuntz, 1964).     

Haematoloechus danbrooksi n. sp. (Digenea: Plagiorchioidea) from Rana vaillanti from Los Tuxtlas,Veracruz, Mexico

Haematoloechus danbrooksi n. sp. from the lungs of Rana vaillanti in Veracruz state, Mexico, was found. The new species is most similar morphologically to H. medioplexus, H. parviplexus, and H. meridionalis in having a ventral sucker less than half the diameter of the oral sucker. It differs from these species by the extension of the vitellaria, which are shorter in the new species, and in the shape of the tegumental spines, which are blunt in the new species. It differs from all other known species of Haematoloechus in the distribution of the uterine loops that are arranged diagonally and that present several short, extracecal. longitudinal loops in the postacetabular region. The new species shows 1.2% sequence divergence in partial 28S sequence with respect to H. medioplexus, 1.1% with H. parviplexus. and 2.5% with H. meridionalis, sequence divergences complementing the morphological differences.     

Halipegus eschi n. sp. (Digenea: Hemiuridae) in Rana vaillanti from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

Halipegus eschi n. sp. is described from the esophagus of Rana vaillanti from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The new species differs from other known species of Halipegus on the basis of relative testis size, lateral extent of the uterus, vitelline follicle arrangement, egg size, and polar filament length.     

Sundapolystoma chalconotae n. g., n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from Rana chalconota (Schlegel) of Peninsular Malaysia

Sundapolystoma chalconotae. n. g., n. sp. (Polystomatidae, Polystomatinae) is proposed for a new polystomatid from the urinary bladder of Rana chalconota (Schlegel) in Peninsular Malaysia. This is the first species of polystomatid to be described from the amphibians of Peninsular Malaysia and the second for the Southeast Asian region. This new genus, as exemplified by S. chalconotae, differs from other polystomatids, and in particular Parapolystoma Ozaki, 1935 (P. bulliense (Johnston, 1912) Ozaki, 1935 and P. johnstoni Pichelin, 1995), in having a tubular uterus and a single diffuse testis. P. crooki Vande Vusse, 1976 is similar to S. chalconotae in having a similar type of uterus and testis, and is re-assigned as Sundapolystoma crooki (Vande Vusse, 1976) n. comb. S. chalconotae differs from S. crooki in having anchors with a longer outer root rather than a longer inner root and 7-8 genital spines compared to 9-13 in S. crooki.     

Polystoma macrocnemis n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from the Iranian longlegged wood frog Rana macrocnemis (Ranidae) in Turkey

Polystoma macrocnemis n. sp. (Polystomatidae) is described from the urinary bladder of Rana macrocnemis (Ranidae) in Turkey. Its general morphology is similar to that of other members of the genus, but it is distinguished from closely related species by numerical parameters of the hamuli and also by its host species and geographical range.     

New species and new genus of Pseudohaploporinae (Digenea): Pseudohaploporus pusitestis sp. n. and Parahaploporus elegantus n. g., sp. n. (Digenea: Pseudohaploporinae) from Vietnamese mullet fish

Two new species of Pseudohaploporinae, Pseudohaploporus pusitestis sp. n. and Parahaploporus elegantus n. g., sp. n., are described from intestines of the Vietnamese mullet fish Moolgarda seheli and Osteomugil cunnesius, respectively. Pseudohaploporus pusitestis sp. n. differs from two known Pseudohaploporus species, P. vietnamensis and P. planiliza, by the absence of a diverticulate hermaphroditic duct and muscular sphincters at the proximal end of the hermaphroditic sac. Metrically, P. pusitestis sp. n. is close to P. vietnamensis and differs from this species and from P. planilizum by lower maximum sizes of most parameters. Parahaploporus elegantus n. g., sp. differs from representatives of Pseudohaploporus by the presence of a single testis and the armament of hermaphroditic duct and is morphologically close to trematodes of the genus Haploporus. However, P. elegantus n. g differs from all known Haploporus species from mugilids of the Indo-West Pacific by the structure of the armament of the hermaphroditic duct and also by size of body, organs and eggs. The validity of designating two new species and a new genus of trematodes is supported by ITS and 28S rDNA sequence data. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed that the new trematodes belong to the Pseudohaploporinae, which formed a well-supported cluster within the monophyletic Haploporidae.     

Morphological and molecular description of Haematoloechus meridionalis n. sp. (Digenea: Plagiorchioidea: Haematoloechidae) from Rana vaillanti brocchi of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

An undescribed species of Haematoloechus inhabits the lungs of Rana vaillanti in northwestern Costa Rica. The new species is most similar morphologically to H. medioplexus, having a very small, but well-developed, ventral sucker and lacking extracecal uterine loops, and apparently was mis-identified previously as H. medioplexus in Rana palmipes from Colombia. It differs from H. medioplexus, notably by (1) the shape of the oral sucker, which is elliptical in H. meridionalis and spherical in H. medioplexus; (2) the posterior extent of the vitelline fields, which terminate at the same level in H. medioplexus, but always at different levels in H. meridionalis; (3) the position of the testes, which are immediately posterior to the seminal receptacle and are close together in the new species and far from the seminal receptacle and separated from each other in H. medioplexus; and (4) the location of the genital pore, which is ventral to the cecal bifurcation in the new species and ventral to the pharynx in H. medioplexus. In addition, the new species is unique among members of Haematoloechus by having flaps of tissue on the interior margins of the ventral sucker. The new species shows almost 5% sequence divergence from H. medioplexus in the variable D1 region of the 28s rDNA, complementing the morphological differences.     

Strzeleckia major n. g., n. sp. and S. minor n. sp. (Digenea: Hasstilesiidae) from Antechinus swainsonii (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in Australia

Strzeleckia major n. g., n. sp. and S. minor n. sp. are described from the dusky antechinus Antechinus swainsonii (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) from the Kosciusko National Park in southern New South Wales, Australia. The two species were found together in the same individual host animals but occupy different sites in the intestine. The new genus is placed within the Hasstilesiidae, where it differs from the only other genus, Hasstilesia, by being more elongate and in having larger suckers, tandem testes, the ovary between rather than opposite the testes, and in having the caeca not reaching the posterior end of the body. It is suggested that the life-cycles of these species are similar to those of other hasstilesiids. Pupillid snails may act as sole intermediate hosts.     

Observations on the life histories of Paramacroderoides pseudoechinus sp. n. (Digenea: Plagiorchioidea) and P. echinus Venard 1941, trematodes from the Florida gar.

Paramacroderoides pseudoechinus sp. n. is described from the intestine of Lepisosteus platyrhincus. Life history studies reveal that developmental stages previously reported for P. echinus from gars belong instead to the new species. The account of the life history of P. echinus is emended accordingly and differences in structure and behavior between that species and P. pseudoechinus are described.     

Fine Structure of the Schizont and Merozoite of Isospora sp. (Sporozoa: Eimeriidae) Parasitic in Gehyra variegata (Dumeril and Bibron, 1836) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

SYNOPSIS. A study was made of the fine structure of some stages in the life cycle of an undesignated species of Isospora parasitic in a gecko. The merozoites which lay within a membrane-bound periparasitic vacuole in the host epithelial cell, had a striking similarity to Plasmodium, Lankesterella, Toxoplasma, Besnoitia, Sarcocystis, Eimeria and the M-organism. Each merozoite was invested with a triple-layered pellicle, the outer membrane of which was loosely applied. At the anterior end of the merozoite were conoid and apical rings; microtubules terminated in the posterior apical ring. Other organelles included nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, micropyle, paired organelle, toxonemes and a variety of vacuoles. Although the sequence of development of the merozoite was not completely followed, some events in this process were recorded. The evidence suggests that anterior ends are formed early and that merozoites develop subsequently by a process of budding. The merozoite pellicle appears to be continuous with, altho structurally different from, the investing membrane of the parent cell.     

Zeylanurotrerna spearei sp.n. (Digenea: Brachylaimidae) from the cane toad, Bufo marinus, in Australia

Zeylanurotrema spearei sp.n. is described from the urinary bladder of the introduced cane toad, Bufo marinus , from North Queensland, Australia. The other species in Zeylanurotrema, Z.lyriocephali , has been recorded only from an agamid lizard from Sri Lanka. The new species has differently arranged gut caeca, vitelline follicles and ovary as compared with Z. lyriocephali. Z. spearei has a Laurer's canal that does not open to the exterior but which forms a glandular Juel's organ. We suggest that Z. spearei is an Australian species that has been acquired by the cane toad from a native host. In juvenile specimens of Z. spearei a persistent microcercous tail is present. From this and the anatomy of the adult we conclude that Zeylanurotrema is a brachylaimid rather than a urotrcmatid as originally proposed. A new subfamily, the Zeylanurotrematinae, is proposed to accommodate Zeylanurotrema .     

Pholeohedra overstreeti n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Haploporidae) from Girella zebra (Kyphosidae) in South Australia

Pholeohedra overstreeti n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Haploporidae) is described from Girella zebra (Kyphosidae) in South Australia. The new genus is compared with all genera of Haploporidae sensu lato (including Atractotrematidae, Megasolenidae and Waretrematidae) and has a unique bell-shaped concavity at its posterior end. The genus otherwise resembles Hapladena in the arrangement of the testis, vitellarium and gut but also resembles Megasolena, Metamegasolena and Vitellibaculum except in having a single testis. This is the first haploporid reported from kyphosid fishes in Australia.     

Baiohelmins elegans n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Nanophyetidae) from the Australian water rat,Hydromys chrysogaster

A new genus and species of nanophyetid,Baiohelmins elegans, is described from the intestine of the Australian water rat,Hydromys chrysogaster Geoffroy, 1804 in North Queensland. The new genus differs from previously described forms by the combination of the following characters: vitelline follicles restricted to a small group posterior to each testis, cirrus pouch present and caeca not extending posterior to the ventral sucker.     

Notocotylus ikutai n. sp. (Digenea: Notocotylidae) from lymnaeid snails and anatid birds in Hokkaido,Japan

An unknown species of the genus Notocotylus (Digenea: Notocotylidae) was found as the larval stage from the lymnaeid snail, Radix auricularia, in a static water area of the Chubetsu River, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. A DNA barcoding identification system was applied to detect the adult stage. Through the inspection of anatid game birds in Hokkaido, Anas crecca, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas zonorhyncha, and Mareca penelope were demonstrated to serve as the definitive hosts. The detailed morphological features of the species were characterized using adults raised experimentally in immunosuppressed mice and naturally developed larvae in R. auricularia. Although the species is morphologically similar to Notocotylus attenuatus and Notocotylus magniovatus in both adult and larval stages, its taxonomic independence was confirmed by a comprehensive study based on molecular phylogeny, morphology, and ecology. Here we propose Notocotylus ikutai n. sp. for this species. The migratory behavior of the anatid hosts and the North-Eurasian distribution of R. auricularia suggest that the new species is widely distributed in the northern Far East.     

The life-cycle of Helicometra gibsoni n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae)

The life-cycle of Helicometra gibsoni n. sp., an opecoelid trematode of marine fishes, is elucidated and the life-history stages are described. Natural infections with the cercariae, which are typically opecoelid in many respects but characterised by having very long, extensile tails, were found in the intertidal snail Anachis terpsichore collected from the Lawson's Bay Coast, Bay of Bengal. Metacercariae were found in the thoracic muscles of the shooting shrimp Alphaeus malabaricus as prominent, reddish-brown, oval cysts. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that 14 days are required for the development of cercaria into the infective metacercarial stage in shrimps. Natural infections with the adult fluke were found in Scorpaenopsis cirrhosus. Therapon jarbua served as an experimental host. Fourteen-day-old metacercariae fed to T. jarbua developed into egg-producing adults in 40–43 days. Intra-specific variations noted in the flukes obtained from natural and experimental infections are presented. H. fasciata of Madhavi (1975) is regarded as a synonym of H. gibsoni.