Two new species of threadlike blood flukes (Aporocotylidae), with a molecular revision of the genera Ankistromeces Nolan & Cribb, 2004 and Phthinomita Nolan & Cribb, 2006

Ankistromeces Nolan & Cribb, 2004 and Phthinomita Nolan & Cribb, 2006 are sister genera of threadlike blood flukes (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) infecting teleost fishes of the tropical Indo-west Pacific. Here, we report new collections of these genera from Australia, Indonesia, and Japan. A new species of Ankistromeces, Ankistromeces kawamurai n. sp., is described from Siganus spinus (Linnaeus) off Okinawa, Japan, and a new species of Phthinomita, Phthinomita abdita n. sp., from Choerodon cephalotes (Castelnau), in Moreton Bay, Australia; the new species are morphologically cryptic within their respective genera and are delineated by molecular and ecological data. Ankistromeces olsoni Nolan & Cribb, 2006 is reported from Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn) off Heron Island (southern Great Barrier Reef), Lizard Island (northern Great Barrier Reef), and Okinawa and Wakayama Prefectures, Japan and from Siganus spinus (Linnaeus) from off Bali, Indonesia. Ankistromeces mariae Nolan & Cribb, 2004 is re-reported from the type-host, Meuschenia freycineti (Quoy & Gaimard), from a new location, Gypsy Bay, Tasmania. Phthinomita poulini Nolan & Cribb, 2006 is re-reported from its type-locality, Lizard Island, from a range of mullids, including five new host species, and its range is extended to include Moreton Bay. Phthinomita symplocos Nolan & Cribb, 2006 is reported from Bali and P. hallae Nolan & Cribb, 2006, P. jonesi Nolan & Cribb, 2006, P. littlewoodi Nolan & Cribb, 2006, and P. munozae Nolan & Cribb, 2006 are each re-reported from their type-host and type-localities. New cox1 mtDNA data were generated for all known species of these two genera from new and archival material. Analyses of these data enabled an evaluation of all known Phthinomita species; P. robertsthomsoni Nolan & Cribb, 2006 is synonymised with P. adlardi Nolan & Cribb, 2006, and P. brooksi Nolan & Cribb, 2006 is synonymised with P. sasali Nolan & Cribb, 2006. We highlight the failure of ITS2 data to delineate closely related aporocotylid species. In contrast, cox1 sequence data are proving reliable and effective in this context and we recommend their incorporation in future studies of blood fluke taxonomy.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Adlardia</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">novaecaledoniae</Emphasis> n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from the fork-tailed threadfin bream <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nemipterus furcosus</Emphasis> (Val.) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) off New Caledonia

Adlardia novaecaledoniae n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) is described from the fish Nemipterus furcosus (Val.) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from off New Caledonia (South Pacific). Adlardia n. g. is distinguished from all other cryptogonimid genera by the combination of an elongate body, the presence of oral spines, intestinal caeca that open via ani at the posterior end of the body, a highly lobed ovary, oblique testes that are located in the mid-hindbody, vitelline follicles that extend from midway between the testes and ovary to midway between the ovary and ventral sucker, and an excretory vesicle that bifurcates dorsal to the ovary and reunites immediately anterior to the pharynx. A. novaecaledoniae n. sp. is the only cryptogonimid that has been reported with an excretory vesicle that reunites anterior to the pharynx. Siphoderina elongata (Gu &; Shen, 1979) Miller &; Cribb, 2008 is transferred to Adlardia as A. elongata (Gu &; Shen, 1979) n. comb. based on morphological and ecological (host group) agreement with A. novaecaledoniae. Bayesian inference analysis of LSU rDNA revealed that A. novaecaledoniae nested well within a clade containing cryptogonimid taxa known almost exclusively from haemulid and lutjanid fishes, suggesting that host-switching between teleosts of the Haemuloidea, Lutjanoidea and Sparoidea may have been common in the evolutionary history of this system.     

Two Lepotrema Ozaki, 1932 species (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) from marine fishes from the southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

The genus Lepotrema Ozaki, 1932 is revived and redefined. Its main diagnostic characters are the dorsal excretory pore, the muscular development of the distal metraterm and the trilobate ovary. It is considered to contain five species, to which a key is given. Lepotrema clavatum Ozaki, 1932 is briefly redescribed from Amanses scopas and Sufflamen chrysopterus, and L. canthescheni n. sp. is described from Cantheschenia grandisquamis, based on material from the southern Great Barrier Reef. L. canthescheni is distinguished by its vitelline and uterine distribution. The other three recognised species are: L. adlardi (Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1993) n. comb., L. incisum (Hanson, 1955) n. comb. and L. xanthichthydis (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb., all three having originally been placed in Lepocreadium.     

Proposal of a new genus,Doorochen (Digenea: Lepocreadioidea), for reef-inhabiting members of the genus Postlepidapedon Zdzitowiecki, 1993

A new genus, Doorochen n. gen., is erected for four species of Postlepidapedon Zdzitowiecki, 1993, all of which inhabit members of the labroid genus Choerodon Bleeker, the tuskfishes, and which molecular phylogenies have indicated are not congeneric with the type-species, P. opisthobifurcatum (Zdzitowiecki, 1990) Zdzitowiecki, 1993. Doorochen secundum (Durio & Manter, 1968) n. comb. from Choerodon graphicus (De Vis), the Graphic tuskfish, from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and New Caledonia is designated the type-species of the new genus. Other species recognised are Doorochen spissum (Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1997) n. comb. from C. venustus (De Vis), the Venus tuskfish, C. cyanodus (Richardson), the Blue tuskfish, and C. graphicus from the GBR; D. uberis (Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1997) n. comb. from C. schoenleinii (Valenciennes), the Blackspot tuskfish, and C. venustus from the GBR and Moreton Bay; and D. philippinense (Machida, 2004) n. comb. from C. anchorago (Bloch), the Orange-dotted tuskfish, from Philippine waters. In addition to these four species, two new species are described: D. zdzitowieckii n. sp. from C. fasciatus (Günther), the Harlequin tuskfish, and C. graphicus from the GBR; and D. goorchana n. sp. from C. anchorago from the GBR and Palau. The genus Postlepidapedon is now considered to comprise just two species, P. opisthobifurcatum and P. quintum Bray & Cribb, 2001. The relationships of Doorochen, Postlepidapedon, Myzoxenus Manter, 1934 and Intusatrium Durio & Manter, 1968 in the family Lepidapedidae Yamaguti, 1958 are discussed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gynichthys diakidnus</Emphasis> n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from the grunt <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plectorhinchus gibbosus</Emphasis> (Lacépède, 1802) (Perciformes: Haemulidae) off the Great Barrier Reef,Australia

Gynichthys diakidnus n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) is described from the fish Plectorhinchus gibbosus (Lacépède) (Perciformes: Haemulidae) off Heron and Lizard Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The monotypic Gynichthys n. g. is distinguished from all other cryptogonimid genera by the combination of a fusiform body, the lack of oral spines, a forebody that occupies approximately half or more of the body length, a deeply lobed ovary, opposite to slightly oblique testes, a seminal vesicle that is confined mainly in the forebody and the presence of multiple gonotyls in the form of two small slightly muscular pores or pseudosucker-like structures in the mid-line well anterior to the ventral sucker. Bayesian inference analysis of LSU rDNA data revealed that G. diakidnus n. sp. grouped relatively distant to species of the cryptogonimid genus Oligogonotylus Watson, 1976, which also have multiple gonotyls, suggesting that the presence of multiple gonotyls is homoplasious and has thus at least evolved twice in the family. The secondary structure of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rDNA region was inferred for G. diakidnus using minimum free energy and homology modelling algorithms. A four helix model was inferred with helices I and IV being relatively short (<30 nucleotides) and helix three being the longest; this structure is homologous with that observed for other digeneans and eukaryotes in general.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolebouria blatta</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus</Emphasis> (Valenciennes) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Etelis carbunculus</Emphasis> Cuvier (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) off New Caledonia

Neolebouria blatta n. sp. is described from Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus (Valenciennes) and Etelis carbunculus Cuvier in waters off New Caledonia. It differs from all other species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 but one, N. georgenascimentoi Bray, 2002, in the extension of the cirrus-sac to the ovary or nearly so. It differs from N. georgenascimentoi in its continuous, rather than interrupted, vitelline distribution. N. blatta belongs to a small group of similar Neolebouria species reported in deep-water lutjanids, which includes N. longisacculus (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb., N. rooseveltiae (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb. and N. ulaula (Yamaguti, 1970).     

Paradiscogaster flindersi and P. oxleyi n. sp. (Digenea: Faustulidae): overlapping host and geographical distributions in corallivore chaetodontid fishes in the tropical Indo-west Pacific

A total of 2,868 individuals of 47 species of chaetodontids were examined for faustulids at seven major localities in the Tropical Indo-West Pacific (TIWP). Combined morphological and molecular analyses allowed us to describe Paradiscogaster oxleyi n. sp. from three localities in the TIWP and in three host species, Chaetodon lunulatus Quoy & Gaimard (type-host), C. ornatissimus Cuvier and C. meyeri Bloch & Schneider. Molecular analysis of the ITS2 region of rDNA from two host species and three localities supports the morphology-based conclusion that P. oxleyi n. sp. is the same species at the three localities. Paradiscogaster flindersi Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1994 is reported from three new localities in the TIWP and is now known from 13 chaetodontid species. Sequences from samples consistent with P. flindersi differed from those from P. oxleyi n. sp. in 11–12 base pairs. The host ranges of the two species overlap broadly. Neither species was found in French Polynesia but both were found at Swain Reefs on the Great Barrier Reef. Only one of the two species was found at each of the five other sites. Both species occur almost exclusively in specialist corallivores allowing the inference that the metacercariae occur in corals. Finally, a key to the species of Paradiscogaster is provided.     

Dramatic phenotypic plasticity within species of Siphomutabilus n. g. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Indo-Pacific caesionines (Perciformes: Lutjanidae)

A survey of Indo-Pacific lutjanids of the subfamily Caesioninae revealed the presence of Siphodera gurukun Machida, 1910 and two new cryptogonimid taxa from off Heron and Lizard Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia and Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives. A combined morphological and genetic characterisation of these species shows that they form a clade distinct from the type-species of Siphodera Linton, 1910, S. vinaledwardsii (Linton, 1901), and warrants the proposal of a new genus. Here we propose Siphomutabilus n. g. and transfer Siphodera gurukun Machida, 1986 as the type-species, Siphomutabilus gurukun (Machida, 1986) n. comb. Siphodera aegyptensis Hassanine & Gibson, 2005 is transferred to Siphomutabilus as S. aegyptensis (Hassanine & Gibson, 2005) n. comb. based on morphological and ecological similarities. Siphomutabilus raritas n. sp. is described from Caesio cuning (Bloch) off Lizard Island and S. bitesticulatus n. sp. is described from Pterocaesio marri Schultz off Heron Island. The two new species are unique in that they have two testes, making their morphology broadly consistent with that of Metadena Linton, 1910, yet the molecular analyses conducted here indicates that they are unequivocally united with Siphomutabilus gurukun (which has multiple testes) to the exclusion of Metadena lutiani (Yamaguti, 1942), which was sequenced here. The dramatic phenotypic plasticity observed among such closely related species of Siphomutabilus suggests a secondary modification of what is generally considered a robust generic diagnostic character within this and other digenean families, highlighting the need for a combined morphological and molecular diagnostic approach when characterising these taxa. Siphodera Linton, 1910 is amended to include just two species, the type-species S. vinaledwardsii (Linton, 1901) Linton, 1910 and S. cirrhiti Yamaguti, 1970, which are distinguished by their lack of oral spines and multiple testes that are primarily extracaecal. Siphodera ghanensis Fischthal & Thomas, 1968 is considered a species incertae sedis here based on significant morphological and ecological differences compared with species of Siphodera and Siphomutabilus n. g.     

Two species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neometadena</Emphasis> Hafeezullah &amp; Siddiqi, 1970 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Moreton Bay,Australia, including the description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neometadena paucispina</Emphasis> n. sp. from Australian Lutjanidae

A survey of the trematode fauna of lutjanid fishes off the east coast of Queensland (QLD), Australia revealed the presence of two species of Neometadena Hafeezullah & Siddiqi, 1970 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae). Neometadena paucispina n. sp. is described from the intestine and pyloric caeca of Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål) and L. russellii (Bleeker) from Moreton Bay, in southeast QLD. Specimens of the type- and only other species, N. ovata (Yamaguti, 1952) Miller & Cribb, 2008, were recovered from L. carponotatus (Richardson), L. fulviflamma, L. fulvus (Forster), L. russellii, and L. vitta (Quoy & Gaimard) off Lizard Island, on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Neometadena paucispina is distinguished from N. ovata in having fewer oral spines (55–65 vs 67–80). Alignment of novel molecular data for these two taxa revealed that they differ consistently by 13 nucleotides (1.5%) over the partial large subunit (LSU), 34 nucleotides (6.6%) over the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 0 nucleotides over the 5.8S, and 21 nucleotides (7.3%) over the ITS2 rDNA regions. Despite relatively large samples of L. carponotatus, L. fulviflamma and L. russellii from three distinct locations along the east coast of QLD (i.e. Moreton Bay in the south, Heron Island in central QLD and Lizard Island in northern QLD), these two species have been found at only one site each with neither species at Heron Island. These distributions are discussed in the context of the wide distribution of other cryptogonomid species in the same hosts elsewhere in the Indo-West Pacific.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepotrema</Emphasis> Ozaki, 1932 (Lepocreadiidae: Digenea) from Indo-Pacific fishes,with the description of eight new species,characterised by morphometric and molecular features

We review species of the genus Lepotrema Ozaki, 1932 from marine fishes in the Indo-West Pacific. Prior to the present study six species were recognised. Here we propose eight new species on the basis of combined morphological and molecular analysis: Lepotrema acanthochromidis n. sp. ex Acanthochromis polyacanthus from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR); Lepotrema hemitaurichthydis n. sp. ex Hemitaurichthys polylepis and H. thompsoni from Palau and French Polynesia; Lepotrema melichthydis n. sp. ex Melichthys vidua from Palau and the GBR; Lepotrema amansis n. sp. ex Amanses scopas from the GBR; Lepotrema cirripectis n. sp. ex Cirripectes filamentosus, C. chelomatus and C. stigmaticus from the GBR; Lepotrema justinei n. sp. ex Sufflamen fraenatum from New Caledonia; Lepotrema moretonense n. sp. ex Prionurus microlepidotus, P. maculatus and Selenotoca multifasciata from Moreton Bay; and Lepotrema amblyglyphidodonis n. sp. ex Amblyglyphidodon curacao and Amphipron akyndynos from the GBR. We also report new host records and provide novel molecular data for two known species: Lepotrema adlardi Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1993 and Lepotrema monile Bray & Cribb, 1998. Two new combinations are formed, Lepotrema cylindricum (Wang, 1989) n. comb. (for Preptetos cylindricus) and Lepotrema navodonis (Shen, 1986) n. comb. (for Lepocreadium navodoni). With the exception of a handful of ambiguous records, the evidence is compelling that the host-specificity of species in this genus is overwhelmingly oioxenous or stenoxenous. This renders the host distribution in three orders and ten families especially difficult to explain as many seemingly suitable hosts are not infected. Multi-loci molecular data (ITS2 rDNA, 28S rDNA and cox1 mtDNA) demonstrate that Lepotrema is a good generic concept, but limited variability in sequence data and differences in phylogenies produced for different gene regions make relationships within the genus difficult to define.     

Resurrection of New Caledonian maskray Neotrygon trigonoides (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae) from synonymy with N. kuhlii, based on cytochrome-oxidase I gene sequences and spotting patterns

The maskray from New Caledonia, Neotrygon trigonoides Castelnau, 1873, has been recently synonymized with the blue-spotted maskray, N. kuhlii (Müller and Henle, 1841), a species with wide Indo-West Pacific distribution, but the reasons for this are unclear. Blue-spotted maskray specimens were collected from the Indian Ocean (Tanzania, Sumatra) and the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Taiwan, and West Papua), and N. trigonoides specimens were collected from New Caledonia (Coral-Sea). Their partial COI gene sequences were generated to expand the available DNA-barcode database on this species, which currently comprises homologous sequences from Ningaloo Reef, the Coral Triangle and the Great Barrier Reef (Coral-Sea). Spotting patterns were also compared across regions. Haplotypes from the Coral-Sea formed a haplogroup phylogenetically distinct from all other haplotypes sampled in the Indo-West Pacific. No clear-cut geographic composition relative to DNA-barcodes or spotting patterns was apparent in N. kuhlii samples across the Indian Ocean and the Coral Triangle. The New Caledonian maskray had spotting patterns markedly different from all the other samples. This, added to a substantial level of net nucleotide divergence (2.6%) with typical N. kuhlii justifies considering the New Caledonian maskray as a separate species, for which we propose to resurrect the name Neotrygon trigonoides.     

A new species,new host records and life cycle data for lepocreadiids (Digenea) of pomacentrid fishes from the Great Barrier Reef,Australia

A new species of lepocreadiid, Opechonoides opisthoporus n. sp., is described infecting 12 pomacentrid fish species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with Abudefduf whitleyi Allen & Robertson as the type-host. This taxon differs from the only other known member of the genus, Opechonoides gure Yamaguti, 1940, in the sucker width ratio, cirrus-sac length, position of the testes, position of the pore of Laurer’s canal, and relative post-testicular distance. The new species exhibits stenoxenic host-specificity, infecting pomacentrids from seven genera: Abudefduf Forsskål, Amphiprion Bloch & Schneider, Neoglyphidodon Allen, Neopomacentrus Allen, Plectroglyphidodon Fowler & Ball, Pomacentrus Lacépède and Stegastes Jenyns. Phylogenetic analyses of 28S rDNA sequence data demonstrate that O. opisthoporus n. sp. forms a strongly supported clade with Prodistomum orientale (Layman, 1930) Bray & Gibson, 1990. The life cycle of this new species is partly elucidated on the basis of ITS2 rDNA sequence data; intermediate hosts are shown to be three species of Ctenophora. New host records and molecular data are reported for Lepocreadium oyabitcha Machida, 1984 and Lepotrema amblyglyphidodonis Bray, Cutmore & Cribb, 2018, and new molecular data are provided for Lepotrema acanthochromidis Bray, Cutmore & Cribb, 2018 and Lepotrema adlardi (Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1993) Bray & Cribb, 1996. Novel cox1 mtDNA sequence data showed intraspecific geographical structuring between Heron Island and Lizard Island for L. acanthochromidis but not for L. adlardi or O. opisthoporus n. sp.

     

The Pseudoplagioporinae,a new subfamily in the Opecoelidae Ozaki, 1925 (Trematoda) for a small clade parasitizing mainly lethrinid fishes,with three new species

The Pseudoplagioporinae n. subf. (Opecoelidae) is proposed for species of Pseudoplagioporus Yamaguti, 1938, Fairfaxia Cribb, 1989, and Shimazuia Cribb, 2005, a small group of relatively distinctive, Indo-West Pacific taxa reliably known almost entirely from emperor fishes (Perciformes: Lethrinidae). These taxa were previously recognized in the Plagioporinae Manter, 1947, but that subfamily has recently been restricted to a clade of Holarctic, freshwater taxa, whereas analyses of new genetic data find the pseudoplagioporines to form a distinct clade among a larger assemblage of marine taxa. New material was sourced from fishes collected mainly in Queensland waters, Australia, but with some specimens from off Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Japan. Orthodena tropica Durio & Manter, 1968 is transferred to Pseudoplagioporus as P. tropicus (Durio & Manter, 1968) n. comb., and Orthodena Durio & Manter, 1968 thus becomes a synonym of that genus. Three new species of Pseudoplagioporus are proposed. One, P. mediocris n. sp., like other species of Pseudoplagioporus, occurs in several species of Lethrinus. The other two new species, P. labiatus n. sp. and P. roseovulatus n. sp., apparently do not infect species of Lethrinus and were instead found only in the Bigeye emperor Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål) and the Redfin emperor M. heterodon (Bleeker), respectively. New host-locality combinations and the first genetic data, for the ribosomal ITS2 DNA region, and the 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and cox1 mtDNA genes, are reported for Pseudoplagioporus lethrini Yamaguti, 1938, P. interruptus Durio & Manter, 1968, P. tropicus, Fairfaxia lethrini Cribb, 1989, Fairfaxia cribbi Hassanine & Gibson, 2005, and Shimazuia lethrini (Yamaguti, 1938) Cribb, 2005.     

Revision of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolebouria</Emphasis> Gibson, 1976 (Digenea: Opecoelidae), with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trilobovarium</Emphasis> n. g., for species infecting tropical and subtropical shallow-water fishes

A new opecoelid trematode is reported from fishes of the Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae and Nemipteridae off Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The new species keys to Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 and shows strong similarity to several species of that genus, but is not consistent with the type-species, N. georgiensis Gibson, 1976, or others known from temperate/polar and/or deep-sea fishes. The new species is also phylogenetically distant from N. lanceolata (Price, 1934) Reimer, 1987, the only representative of the genus for which molecular data are available. A new genus, Trilobovarium n. g., is proposed for the new species, T. parvvatis n. sp. Eight morphologically similar species, previously recognised as belonging to Neolebouria, from shallow-water, mostly tropical/subtropical fishes, are transferred to Trilobovarium: T. diacopae (Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1962) n. comb.; T. ira (Yamaguti, 1940) n. comb.; T. khalili (Ramadan, 1983) n. comb.; T. krusadaiense (Gupta, 1956) n. comb.; T. lineatum (Aken’Ova & Cribb, 2001) n. comb.; T. moretonense (Aken’Ova & Cribb, 2001) n. comb.; T. palauense (Machida, 2014) n. comb.; and T. truncatum (Linton, 1940) n. comb. Paramanteriella Li, Qiu & Zhang, 1988 is resurrected for five species of Neolebouria with a post-bifurcal genital pore: P. cantherini Li, Qiu & Zhang, 1988; P. capoori (Jaiswal, Upadhyay, Malhotra, Dronen & Malhotra, 2014) n. comb.; P. confusa (Overstreet, 1969) n. comb.; P. leiperi (Gupta, 1956) n. comb.; and P. pallenisca (Shipley & Hornell, 1905) n. comb. Neolebouria georgenascimentoi Bray, 2002, a species with an exceptionally long cirrus-sac, is transferred to Bentholebouria Andres, Pulis & Overstreet, 2004 as B. georgenascimentoi (Bray, 2002) n. comb., and N. maorum (Allison, 1966) Gibson 1976, an unusual species known from cephalopods, is designated a species incertae sedis. Eleven species are retained in a revised concept of Neolebouria.     

Intermediate host switches drive diversification among the largest trematode family: evidence from the Polypipapiliotrematinae n. subf. (Opecoelidae), parasites transmitted to butterflyfishes via predation of coral polyps

Podocotyloides stenometra Pritchard, 1966 (Digenea: Opecoelidae) is the only trematode known to infect anthozoan corals. It causes disease in coral polyps of the genus Porites Link (Scleractinia: Poritidae) and its life-cycle depends on ingestion of these polyps by butterflyfishes (Perciformes: Chaetodontidae). This species has been reported throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the Seychelles to the Galápagos, but no study has investigated whether multiple species are involved. Here, we recollect P. stenometra from its type-host and type-locality, in Hawaiian waters, and describe four new species from examination of 768 butterflyfishes from French Polynesia. On the basis of morphology, phylogeny and life-history, we propose Polypipapiliotrema Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. gen. and the Polypipapiliotrematinae Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. subf., for P. stenometra (Pritchard) n. comb., P. citerovarium Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. sp., P. hadrometra Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. sp., P. heniochi Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. sp., and P. ovatheculum Martin, Cutmore & Cribb n. sp. Given the diversity uncovered here and the ubiquity, abundance and diversity of butterflyfishes on coral reefs, we predict that Polypipapiliotrema will prove to comprise a rich complex of species causing disease in corals across the Indo-Pacific. The unique life-cycle of these taxa is consistent with phylogenetic distinction of the group and provides evidence for a broader basis of diversification among the family. We argue that life-cycle specialisation, in terms of adoption of disparate second intermediate host groups, has been a key driver of the diversification and richness of the Opecoelidae, the largest of all trematode families and the group most frequently encountered in coral reef fishes.     

A revision of the Haploporinae Nicoll, 1914 (Digenea: Haploporidae) from mullets (Mugilidae): <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccocoelium</Emphasis> Looss, 1902

Saccocoelium Looss, 1902 is revised and a key to its recognised species is presented. S. obesum Looss, 1902 (type-species) and S. tensum Looss, 1902 are redescribed based on material from Liza spp. (Pisces: Mugilidae) in Spanish Mediterranean and, in the case of the former, Bulgarian Black Sea waters. Two new species, S. cephali n. sp. and S. currani n. sp., are described from Mugil cephalus L. in Spanish Mediterranean waters. S. gohari Ramadan, Saoud, Ashour & Mansour, 1989b is recognised and commented upon. Lecithobotrys helmymohamedi Ramadan, Saoud, Ashour & Mansour, 1989a, S. portsaidensis El-Shahawi, El-Gindy, Imam & Al-Bassel, 1992, S. saoudi El-Shahawi, El-Gindy, Imam & Al-Bassel, 1992, Neosaccocoelium aegyptiacus El-Shahawi, El-Gindy, Imam & Al-Bassel, 1992 are considered to be synonyms of S. tensum and Neosaccocoelium El-Shahawi, El-Gindy, Imam & Al-Bassel, 1992 a synonym of Saccocoelium. S. obesum, S. tensum and the two new species are compared morphometrically and distinguished by univariate and multivariate analyses. Lecithobotrys mugilis Rekharani & Madhavi, 1985 is transferred to Unisaccus Martin, 1973 as U. mugilis (Rekharani & Madhavi, 1985) n. comb., and Lecithobotrys sprenti Martin, 1973 [=  Saccocoelium sprenti (Martin, 1973) Overstreet & Curran, 2005] is transferred to Unisaccus as U. sprenti (Martin, 1973) n. comb. S. megasacculum Liu, Wang, Peng, Yu & Yang, 2004 is transferred to Elliptobursa Wu, Lu & Zhu, 1996 as E. megasacculum (Liu, Wang, Peng, Yu & Yang, 2004) n. comb. S. tripathi Dutta, 1995 (syn. Saccocoelium tripathi Datta & Manna, 1998) is considered to be a species inquirenda.

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The erection of Pelecanema n. g. (Nematoda: Spirurida: Acuariidae), with redescriptions of P. sirry (Khalil, 1931) n. comb. and P. pelecani (Johnston & Mawson, 1942) n. comb.

Pelecanema n. g. is erected for P. sirry (Khalil, 1931) n. comb., syn. Synhimantus sirry Khalil, 1931 (type-species) and P. pelecani (Johnston & Mawson, 1942) n. comb., syn. Dispharynx pelecani Johnston & Mawson, 1942. In the structure of its cordons, consisting of two rows of delicate cuticular plates, the new genus is similar to Synhimantus Railliet, Henry & Sisoff, 1912, Dispharynx Railliet, Henry & Sisoff, 1912, Chordatortilis Machado de Mendon?a & Olivera de Rodrigues, 1965 and Parachordatortilis Mutafchiev, Santoro & Georgiev, 2010. Pelecanema sirry, a parasite of Pelecanus onocrotalus L. and P. crispus Bruch (Pelecaniformes, Pelecanidae) in Africa (Egypt and Senegal) and Europe (Ukraine and Bulgaria), is redescribed using light and scanning electron microscopy on the basis of specimens from P. crispus from Bulgaria. Pelecanema pelecani, a parasite of Pelecanus conspicillatus Temminck in Australia, is also redescribed using light microscopy on the basis of specimens from its type-host and type-locality. In contrast to a previous opinion recognising Pelecanema sirry and P. pelecani as synonyms, the two species are considered distinct and P. pelecani is validated.     

Monorchiid trematodes of the painted sweetlips,Diagramma labiosum (Perciformes: Haemulidae), from the southern Great Barrier Reef,including a new genus and three new species

Five monorchiid species are reported from Diagramma labiosum Macleay (Perciformes: Haemulidae) collected from Heron Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR): two described species, Helicometroides longicollis Yamaguti, 1934 and Diplomonorchis kureh Machida, 2005 and three new species, including one new genus, Asymmetrostoma heronensis n. g., n. sp., Lasiotocus arrhichostoma n. sp. and Proctotrema addisoni n. sp. Helicometroides longicollis and D. kureh were previously reported from the closely related species Diagramma pictum (Thunberg) from Japan. Two further monorchiid species known from D. pictum, Genolopa plectorhynchi (Yamaguti, 1934) and Paraproctotrema fusiforme Yamaguti, 1934, appear to be absent from the southern Great Barrier Reef. Previous reports of two other monorchiids from D. labiosum from the GBR, Paramonorcheides pseudocaranxi Dove & Cribb, 1998 and Helicometroides vitellosus (Durio & Manter, 1968), are shown to have been made in error. The high richness of monorchiids and other trematode families in D. labiosum is consistent with that seen in other haemulids elsewhere.     

A complex of the blood fluke genus Psettarium (Digenea: Aporocotylidae) infecting tetraodontiform fishes of east Queensland waters

Seven species of Psettarium (Digenea: Aporocotylidae), including four new species, are reported from tetraodontiform fishes from off coastal east Queensland. Psettarium pandora n. sp. infects the yellow boxfish, Ostracion cubicus (Ostraciidae), the first known aporocotylid to infect this family of fishes. Three new species are reported from pufferfishes of the genus Arothron (Tetraodontidae): Psettarium yoshidai n. sp. infects the map puffer (Arothron mappa), Psettarium hustoni n. sp. infects the black-spotted puffer (A. nigropunctatus) and Psettarium martini n. sp. infects the starry puffer (A. stellatus). We also report three species of Psettarium from Australian waters for the first time. Paracardicola hawaiensis Martin, 1960, the sole species of Paracardicola, is redescribed based on specimens collected from the type-host, the stars-and-stripes puffer, Arothron hispidus. Paracardicola is synonymised with Psettarium and P. hawaiensis is recombined as Psettarium hawaiiense (Martin, 1960) n. comb. Psettarium pulchellum Yong, Cutmore, Bray, Miller, Semarariana, Palm & Cribb, 2016, described from the narrow-lined puffer (Arothron manilensis) from off Bali, Indonesia, is reported from the same fish species at two locations on the Queensland coast, significantly extending the range of this species. Psettarium nolani (Bray, Cribb & Littlewood, 2013), originally described from French Polynesia, is reported from A. hispidus, A. manilensis and A. stellatus, representing both new host and locality records for this species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows these species to all be closely related, such that they cannot be considered to represent separate genera despite their differing morphology. Analysis of 28S sequence data for Psettarium anthicum Bullard & Overstreet, 2006, a non-tetraodontiform-infecting species, shows it to be distantly related to all other species of Psettarium for which sequence data are available. The species is re-assigned to a new genus, Cardallagium n. gen., as Cardallagium anthicum (Bullard & Overstreet, 2006) n. comb. We think it likely that the host range of species of Psettarium is limited to tetraodontiform fishes. We assessed the infection biology of two species, P. nolani and P. hawaiiense n. comb. infecting A. hispidus, using histology to assess the pathways of egg release for these species. Eggs of both species were observed in both circulatory and visceral organs of infected hosts, often in high numbers. Eggs were seen trapped in the mucosal layer of the intestine and, in rare instances, causing lesions in the laminar epithelium, providing the strongest evidence yet that they pass through the gut wall and escape the host via the faeces. Lastly, we discuss the biogeographical implications of our findings, noting that some Psettarium species now show very wide geographical distributions.     

Dactylogyrids (Monogenoidea) parasitizing the gills of spinefoots (Teleostei: Siganidae): proposal of Glyphidohaptor n. gen., with two new species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and G. plectocirra n. comb. from Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt

Nine species of Siganus (Perciformes: Siganidae) were examined for dactylogyrids (Monogenoidea) from the Red Sea, Egypt; the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; and the South China Sea, China. Species of Tetrancistrum were found on siganids from all 3 localities; Pseudohaliotrema spp. were restricted to siganids from the Great Barrier Reef; and species representing Glyphidohaptor n. gen. were found on siganids from the Red Sea and Great Barrier Reef. Siganus argenteus from the Red Sea and Siganus vulpinus from the Great Barrier Reef were negative for dactylogyrid parasites. Glyphidohaptor n. gen. is proposed for 3 species (2 species new to science) and the new species are described: Glyphidohaptor phractophallus n. sp. from Siganus fuscescens from the Great Barrier Reef; Glyphidohaptor sigani n. sp. from Siganus doliatus (type host), Siganus punctatus, Siganus corallinus, and Siganus lineatus from the Great Barrier Reef; and Glyphidohaptor plectocirra (Paperna, 1972) n. comb. (= Pseudohaliotrema plectocirra Paperna, 1972) from Siganus luridus and Siganus rivulatus from the Red Sea.