Calicotyle californiensis n. sp. and Calicotyle urobati n. sp. (Monogenea: Calicotylinae) from elasmobranchs in the Gulf of California

Two new species of Calicotyle (Monocotylidae: Calicotylinae) are described from elasmobranchs in the western Gulf of California. Calicotyle californiensis n. sp. is described from a single specimen collected from a gray smoothhound shark (Mustelus californicus, Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae). It is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of having vaginal pores opening within the intercecal space, distal regions of the vaginae twisting, proximal regions of the vaginae fusing medially to form a kidney bean-shaped structure, and a relatively long male copulatory organ recurving 3 times and passing between the distal penis bulb and the seminal vesicle. Calicotyle urobati n. sp. is described from 16 specimens collected from at least the cloaca and rectum of the round rays Urobatis halleri and Urobatis maculatus (Rajiformes: Urolophidae). It is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of having vaginal pores opening outside the intercecal space and proximal regions of the vaginae terminating at the level of the ceca. Members of Calicotyle have not been reported previously from the eastern Pacific Ocean or from these hosts. In the past, species of Calicotyle have been distinguished based primarily on the shape and length of the male copulatory organ and hamuli. Divisions of the vaginae and the positions of the vaginal pores are also useful in distinguishing members of the genus.     

Calicotyle urolophi n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) from stingarees,Urolophus spp. (Elasmobranchii: Urolophidae) taken in coastal waters of Southern Australia

Calicotyle urolophi n. sp. is proposed for calicotylines found in the cloaca of three stingaree species, Urolophus cruciatus, U. bucculentus and U. paucimaculatus, collected off the southeastern coast of Tasmania. Variations in the soft body parts were observed between specimens taken from U. cruciatus and U. bucculentus but were not considered sufficient for separation into two species. C. urolophi is differentiated from other Calicotyle spp. found in the South Pacific by the configuration of the tubular male copulatory organ, the structure of the intestinal caeca and the arrangement of the vaginae. Amended diagnoses for the subfamily Calicotylinae and the genus Calicotyle are provided.     

Macroparasites of five species of ray (genus Raja) on the northwest coast of Spain

A parasitological study of rays captured on the Atlantic continental shelf off the estuary Muros-Noia in NW Spain (42 degrees 35' to 42 degrees 41' N, 9 degrees 2' to 9 degrees 10' W; mean capture depth 11.6 +/- 4.1 m) was performed. A total of 128 rays were examined: 52 specimens of Raja microocellata, 60 of R. brachyura, 6 of R. montagui, 3 of R. undulata and 7 of an unidentified Raja species, known locally as 'fancheca'. A total of 23 macroparasite species were detected: 5 monogeneans (Acanthocotyle sp., Calicotyle kroyeri, Empruthotrema raiae, Merizocotyle undulata, Rajonchocotyle emarginata), 11 cestodes (Acanthobothrium sp., Crossobothrium sp., Echeneibothrium sp., Echinobothrium brachysoma, Grillotia erinaceus, Grillotia sp., Lecanicephalum sp., Nybelinia lingualis, Onchobothrium uncinatum, Phyllobothrium lactuca, Tritaphros retzii), 6 nematodes (Anisakis simplex, Hysterothylacium sp., Histodytes microocellatus, Piscicapillaria freemani, Proleptus sp., Pseudanisakis baylisi) and a copepod (Holobomolochus sp.). All parasite species were present in several ray species, except for Acanthocotyle sp. and G. erinaceus (detected only in R. brachyura), H. microocellatus (detected only in R. microocellata) and T. retzii (detected only in R. montagui). Three species (C. kroyeri, M. undulata, E. brachysoma) have not been reported previously from Spain. The host with the highest parasite species richness was R. brachyura (18 species), followed by R. microocellata (17) and the unidentified Raja species (14). The parasite with the highest prevalence in R. microocellata was M. undulata, followed by R. emarginata, Acanthobothrium sp. and Echeneibothrium sp. The species with the highest prevalence in R. brachyura was R. emarginata, followed by C. kroyeri and P. baylisi. Some differences in parasite prevalence were detected between sexes and among size classes in both R. brachyura and R. microocellata.     

Central European Strigeidae Railliet, 1919 (Trematoda: Strigeidida): Molecular and comparative morphological analysis suggests the reclassification of Parastrigea robusta Szidat, 1928 into Strigea Abildgaard, 1790

Strigeidae Railliet, 1919 are digenean parasites of birds and mammals that are characteristic by their cup-shaped forebody and bilobed holdfast organ. Despite that the family is taxonomically unsettled, particularly due to a very limited number of visible autapomorphic identification features, molecular phylogenetics have never been applied to analyze the relationships among European members of Strigeidae except for the genus Ichthyocotylurus. Here, we analyze the Strigeidae found during the examination of Czech birds performed from 1962 to 2017, and we provide comparative measurements and host spectra, including prevalence and intensity; we also provide and analyze sequences of four DNA loci of 12 of the Strigeidae species. We suggest the reclassification of Parastrigea robusta Szidat, 1928 as Strigea robusta (Szidat, 1928) Heneberg and Sitko, 2018 comb. n. The genera Strigea Abildgaard, 1790 and Parastrigea Szidat, 1928 appear paraphyletic, and morphological diagnostic features of genera within Strigeini Dubois, 1936 are invalid. The mute swan Cygnus olor hosts two Cotylurus spp., Cotylurus syrius Dubois, 1934 and a second species with molecular identification features shared in part with Cotylurus cornutus (Rudolphi, 1808) and Cotylurus gallinulae Lutz, 1928. New host records are provided for seven species. Analyses of non-European genera of the Strigeidae are needed to provide an updated key to Strigeini.     

On some Cuban species of the genus Longior Travassos & Kloss, 1958 (Oxyurida, Hystrignathidae), with description of a new species

Longior zayasi Coy, García & Alvarez, 1993 is established as incertae sedis because the males (declared as the holotype) are inconsistent with the generic diagnosis, particularly in relation to the morphology of the head and tail. Thus, the females of Longior zayasi species (which agree with the generic diagnosis) are renamed and re-described as Longior longior Morffe & García sp. n. We also described males found in the sample and considered as conspecific with the new species. A comparative table with the measurements of the most of the records of Longior longior is given. The male of Longior similis Morffe, García & Ventosa, 2009 is described from the type locality of the species and compared with the known males of the genus. A key to the females of the Cuban Longior is given.     

Seasonal changes in the abundance and distribution of planktonic rotifers in Grasmere (English Lake District)

SUMMARY. The planktonic rotifers of Grasmere, a small lake in the English Lake District, were studied from August 1969 to December 1972. Twenty-four species were recorded but five were very rare. The remaining species were divided into three groups according to their seasonal occurrence: spring to autumn species ( Keratella quadrata. K. cochlearis, Gastropus stylifer, Asplauduia priodonta. Kellicottia Umgispina, Conochilus hippocrepis )., spring to early summer species ( Polyarthra dolichoptera, Synchaeta tremula, S. pectinata, S. stylata, S. oblonga, C. unicornis ), summer to autumn species ( Polyarthra vulgaris, P. major. Filinia terminalis, S. grandis, Ploesoma hudsoni, Trichocerca capucina, T. similis ). The months in which each species was abundant are given.
Keratella quadrata and Filinia terminalis were most abundant in the deepest stratum, Kellicottia longispina and Conochilus spp. were most abundant in the upper and middle strata. Trichocerca spp. showed no pronounced vertical distribution, and all the remaining species were most abundant in the upper stratum. Keratella cochlearis and Kellicottia longispina attained their highest densities over a wide range of temperature and oxygen concentration. Filinia terminalis, Conchihis spp., Asplanchna priodonta. K. quadrata , and Polyarthra spp., attained their highest densities within a narrow range of temperature and oxygen concentration. Optimum ranges are given for each species.
Major changes occurred between 1971 and 1972 when Asplanchna priodonta. Kellicottia longispina, Conochilus unicornis and Filinia terminalis increased in abundance, whilst Keratella quadrata. Gastropus stylifer, C. hippocrepis, Polyarthra spp., Synchaeta spp. and Ploesoma hudsoni decreased in abundance. These changes are discussed in relation to the temperature and oxygen requirements of each species and also to the probable enrichment of the lake after the opening of a new sewage works in June 1971.     

Chaetotaxy and surface structures of the miracidia of Ichthyocotylurus erraticus (Rudolphi, 1809), I. variegatus (Creplin, 1825) and Apatemon gracilis (Szidat, 1928) (Digenea,Strigeidae)

Silver nitrate staining was used to investigate the number and arrangement of argentophillic structures (epidermal plates, sensilla, excretory pores) of three species of strigeid miracidia, Ichthyocotylurus erraticus (Rudolphi, 1809), I. variegatus (Creplin, 1825) and Apatemon gracilis (Szidat, 1928). The epidermal plates of all three species of miracidia were arranged in four tiers according to the formula (6 + 9 + 4 + 3) = 22, while the number and distribution of sensilla were also found to be identical. Modifications to the nomenclature of Dimitrov et al. (1989) for miracidial chaetotaxy are proposed.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also employed to examine the surface structures of deciliated miracidia of Ichthyocotylurus spp., confirming the position and revealing the form of body sensilla.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) inferred from 28S rDNA sequences

The current classification of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) is based on a phylogeny generated from morphological characters. The present study tests the morphological phylogenetic hypothesis using molecular methods. Sequences from domains C2 and D1 and the partial domains C1 and D2 from the 28S rDNA gene for 26 species of monocotylids from six of the seven subfamilies were used. Trees were generated using maximum parsimony, neighbour joining and maximum likelihood algorithms. The maximum parsimony tree, with branches showing less than 70% bootstrap support collapsed, had a topology identical to that obtained using the maximum likelihood analysis. The neighbour joining tree, with branches showing less than 70% support collapsed, differed only in its placement of Heterocotyle capricornensis as the sister group to the Decacotylinae clade. The molecular tree largely supports the subfamilies established using morphological characters. Differences are primarily how the subfamilies are related to each other. The monophyly of the Calicotylinae and Merizocotylinae and their sister group relationship is supported by high bootstrap values in all three methods, but relationships within the Merizocotylinae are unclear. Merizocotyle is paraphyletic and our data suggest that Mycteronastes and Thaumatocotyle, which were synonymized with Merizocotyle after the morphological cladistic analysis, should perhaps be resurrected as valid genera. The monophyly of the Monocotylinae and Decacotylinae is also supported by high bootstrap values. The Decacotylinae, which was considered previously to be the sister group to the Calicotylinae plus Merizocotylinae, is grouped in an unresolved polychotomy with the Monocotylinae and members of the Heterocotylinae. According to our molecular data, the Heterocotylinae is paraphyletic. Molecular data support a sister group relationship between Troglocephalus rhinobatidis and Neoheterocotyle rhinobatidis to the exclusion of the other species of Neoheterocotyle and recognition of Troglocephalus renders Neoheterocotyle paraphyletic. We propose Troglocephalus incertae sedis. An updated classification and full species list of the Monocotylidae is provided.     

Species, sex, size and male maturity composition of previously unreported elasmobranch landings in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Emirate

This paper presents data from the first major survey of the diversity, biology and fisheries of elasmobranchs in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Substantial landings of elasmobranchs, usually as gillnet by-catch, were recorded in Kuwait, Qatar and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (part of the United Arab Emirates), although larger elasmobranchs from targeted line fisheries were landed in Abu Dhabi. The elasmobranch fauna recorded was distinctive and included species that are undescribed, rare and have a highly restricted known distribution. Numerical abundance was dominated by sharks (c. 80%), of which carcharhinids were by far the most important. The milk shark Rhizoprionodon acutus and whitecheek shark Carcharhinus dussumieri together comprised just under half of all recorded individuals. Around 90% of recorded sharks were small (50-90 cm total length, L(T) ) individuals, most of which were mature individuals of species with a small maximum size (<100 cm L(T) ), although immature individuals of larger species (e.g. Carcharhinus sorrah and other Carcharhinus spp.) were also important. The most frequently recorded batoid taxa were cownose rays Rhinoptera spp., an undescribed whipray, and the granulated guitarfish Rhinobatos granulatus. The first size, sex and maturity data for a wide range of Gulf elasmobranch species are presented (including L(T) at 50% maturity for males of four shark species) and include some notable differences from other locations in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. A number of concerns regarding the sustainability of the fishery were highlighted by this study, notably that most of the batoid species recorded are classed by the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, endangered, data deficient or not evaluated. Despite their considerable elasmobranch landings, none of the three countries sampled have developed a 'Shark Plan' as encouraged to do so under the FAO International Plan of Action: Sharks. Furthermore, Kuwait and Qatar currently report zero or no elasmobranch landings to the FAO.     

Digenetic trematodes of marine fishes of Okinawa, Japan

Between May and September 1985, 348 fishes representing 50 families, 107 genera, and 152 species from the coastal waters of Okinawa were examined for digenetic flukes. Ten families (Lepocreadiidae, Opistholebetidae, Gyliauchenidae, Fellodistomidae, Acanthocolpidae, Opecoelidae, Bucephalidae, Cryptogonimidae, Syncoeliidae, and Hemiuridae), representing 29 genera and 34 species of digenetic flukes were recorded. Seven new geographic locality records and 25 new host records were established. Possibly 2 new species, one being a species of the genus Metadena from Meiacanthus grammistes and the other a species of the genus Mesolecitha from Plectorhynchus chaetodontoides, were detected. Most infections were of a single species, and although prevalence and intensity were low, host specificity was high. Only 3 of the 34 species identified transgressed family bounds in their definitive hosts.     

Calicotyle australiensis n. sp. and Calicotyle sp. (Monogenea,Monopisthocotylea) from the rectum and rectal glands,and Rugogaster hydrolagi Schell, 1973 (Trematoda,Aspidogastrea) from the rectal glands of holocephalans off the coast of southeastern Australia

Calicotyle australiensis n. sp. from Chimaera sp., caught off the coast of New South Wales, is described. It differs from the other species of the genus in the combination of the following characteristics: length of the penis-tube, absence of medial diverticula of the caeca and presence of hamuli. Calicotyle sp. from Rhinochimaera pacifica and Rugogaster hydrolagi from Chimaera sp. caught at the same locality are reported and illustrated.

     

Phylogenetic analysis of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) inferred from 28S rDNA sequences

The current classification of the Monocotylidae (Monogenea) is based on a phylogeny generated from morphological characters. The present study tests the morphological phylogenetic hypothesis using molecular methods. Sequences from domains C2 and D1 and the partial domains C1 and D2 from the 28S rDNA gene for 26 species of monocotylids from six of the seven subfamilies were used. Trees were generated using maximum parsimony, neighbour joining and maximum likelihood algorithms. The maximum parsimony tree, with branches showing less than 70% bootstrap support collapsed, had a topology identical to that obtained using the maximum likelihood analysis. The neighbour joining tree, with branches showing less than 70% support collapsed, differed only in its placement of Heterocotyle capricornensis as the sister group to the Decacotylinae clade. The molecular tree largely supports the subfamilies established using morphological characters. Differences are primarily how the subfamilies are related to each other. The monophyly of the Calicotylinae and Merizocotylinae and their sister group relationship is supported by high bootstrap values in all three methods, but relationships within the Merizocotylinae are unclear. Merizocotyle is paraphyletic and our data suggest that Mycteronastes and Thaumatocotyle, which were synonymized with Merizocotyle after the morphological cladistic analysis, should perhaps be resurrected as valid genera. The monophyly of the Monocotylinae and Decacotylinae is also supported by high bootstrap values. The Decacotylinae, which was considered previously to be the sister group to the Calicotylinae plus Merizocotylinae, is grouped in an unresolved polychotomy with the Monocotylinae and members of the Heterocotylinae. According to our molecular data, the Heterocotylinae is paraphyletic. Molecular data support a sister group relationship between Troglocephalus rhinobatidis and Neoheterocotyle rhinobatidis to the exclusion of the other species of Neoheterocotyle and recognition of Troglocephalus renders Neoheterocotyle paraphyletic. We propose Troglocephalus incertae sedis. An updated classification and full species list of the Monocotylidae is provided.     

Gerarda prevostiana(Eydoux and Gervais,1837)(Squamata:Serpentes:Homalopsidae),a New Snake for Borneo

A new record of the homalopsid snake, Gerarda prevostiana is presented from a mangrove-dominated patch in the vicinity of Kampung Bako, Sarawak, East Malaysia, and this comprises the first published record from the Sundaic Island of Borneo. A possible second locality for the species is a ca. 6.68 km site to its northeast, Kampung Buntal, based on an unlocated museum specimen. The species is widespread in mainland Southeast Asia, with additional records to the west(the Indian Subcontinent) and east(the Philippines Archipelago), but was previously unrecorded from the islands of the Sundas. The secretive habits of the species, including the occupancy of mud lobster(Thalassinia spp.) mounds in mostly inaccessible, swampy habitats may be a reason for its perceived rarity and few published records.     

A revision of the family Dissonidae Kurtz, 1924 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida)

Two new species of the parasitic copepod genus Dissonus Wilson, 1906 are described: D. excavatus n. sp. from the gills of a labrid, Bodianus perditio, and a lutjanid, Macolor niger, collected off New Caledonia and Taiwan, and D. inaequalis n. sp. from a hemiscylliid elasmobranch, Chiloscyllium punctatum, collected off Sarawak (Malaysia) and the Philippines. Material of D. heronensis Kabata, 1966 is described from a balistid host, Pseudobalistes fuscus, off New Caledonia, and this constitutes a new host record for this parasite. D. manteri Kabata, 1966 was collected from four serranid host species off New Caledonia and from one of the same hosts off Taiwan. Two of the hosts from New Caledonia, Plectropomus laevis and Epinephelus cyanopodus, represent new host records. D. pastinum Deets & Dojiri, 1990 was recognised as a new synonym of D. nudiventris Kabata, 1966, so the total number of valid species is now twelve. Material from museum collections of D. nudiventris, D. similis Kabata, 1966 and D. spinifer Wilson, 1906 was re-examined and provided new information which is utilised in a key to all valid species of Dissonus.     

Interspecific aggression and character displacement in the damselfly Calopteryx splendens

Problems in species recognition are thought to affect the evolution of secondary sexual characters mainly through avoidance of maladaptive hybridization. Another, but much less studied avenue for the evolution of sexual characters due to species recognition problems is through interspecific aggression. In the damselfly, Calopteryx splendens, males have pigmented wing spots as a sexual character. Large-spotted males resemble males of another species, Calopteryx virgo, causing potential problems in species recognition. In this study, we investigate whether there is character displacement in wing spot size and whether interspecific aggression could cause this pattern. We found first that wing spot size of C. splendens in populations decreased with increasing relative abundance of C. virgo. Secondly, C. virgo males were more aggressive towards large- than small-spotted C. splendens males. Thirdly, in interspecific contests C. virgo males had better territory holding ability than C. splendens males. These results suggest that interspecific aggression may have caused character displacement in wing spot size of C. splendens, because the intensity of aggression towards large-spotted males is likely to increase with relative abundance of C. virgo males. Thus, interspecific aggression may be an evolutionarily significant force that is able to cause divergence in secondary sexual characters.     

NOTES ON BREEDING OF CISTICOLA BRUNNESCENS AND C. JUNCIDIS IN ZAMBIA

Penry, E. H. 1985. Notes on breeding of Cisticola brunnescens and C. juncidis in Zambia. Ostrich 56: 229–235.

Details are given of breeding data from Cisticola juncidis and C. brunnescens in Kitwe. Zambia in December 1979 and January 1980. Composition, structure and dimensions of nests, incubation periods, nestling periods, chick development and breeding success are presented and comparisons are made between the two species for each of these factors. The previously unrecorded incubation period for C. brunnescens is 11–13 days. All published breeding records for the two species in Zambia between 1970 and 1980 have been collated.     

Diet breadth and its relationship with genetic diversity and differentiation: the case of southern beech aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Herbivorous insect species with narrow diet breadth are expected to be more prone to genetic differentiation than insect species with a wider diet breadth. However, a generalist can behave as a local specialist if a single host-plant species is locally available, while a specialist can eventually behave as a generalist if its preferred host is not available. These problems can be addressed by comparing closely related species differing in diet breadth with overlapping distributions of insect and host populations. In this work, diet breadth, genetic diversity and population differentiation of congeneric aphid species from southern beech forests in Chile were compared. While at the species level no major differences in genetic diversity were found, a general trend towards higher genetic diversity as diet breadth increased was apparent. The aphid species with wider diet breadth, Neuquenaphis edwardsi (Laing), showed the highest genetic diversity, while the specialist Neuquenaphis staryi Quednau & Remaudière showed the lowest. These differences were less distinct when the comparisons were made in the same locality and over the same host. Comparison of allopatric populations indicates that genetic differentiation was higher for the specialists, Neuquenaphis similis Hille Ris Lambers and N. staryi, than for the generalist N. edwardsi. Over the same host at different locations, genetic differentiation among populations of N. edwardsi was higher than among populations of N. similis. The results support the assumption that specialists should show more pronounced genetic structuring than generalists, although the geographical distribution of host plants may be playing an important role.     

Calicotyle australiensis n. sp. and Calicotyle sp. (Monogenea,Monopisthocotylea) from the rectum and rectal glands,and Rugogaster hydrolagi Schell, 1973 (Trematoda,Aspidogastrea) from the rectal glands of holocephalans off the coast of southeastern Australia

Calicotyle australiensis n. sp. from Chimaera sp., caught off the coast of New South Wales, is described. It differs from the other species of the genus in the combination of the following characteristics: length of the penis-tube, absence of medial diverticula of the caeca and presence of hamuli. Calicotyle sp. from Rhinochimaera pacifica and Rugogaster hydrolagi from Chimaera sp. caught at the same locality are reported and illustrated.