Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae): gill parasites from West African Cichlidae of the subgenus Coptodon Regan, 1920 (Pisces), with descriptions of six new species

A study of gill parasites from fishes of the subgenus Coptodon Regan, 1920 (Cichlidae), namely Tilapia coffea Thys van den Audenaerde, T. dageti Thys van den Audenaerde, T. guineensis (Bleeker), T. louka Thys van den Audenaerde, T. walteri Thys van den Audenaerde and T. zillii (Gervais), from different locations in West Africa (Burkina Fasso, Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali and Senegal), revealed the presence of 19 species of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae). Six are considered new species: C. amphoratus n. sp., C. levequei n. sp., C. microscutus n. sp., C. ornatus n. sp., C. ouedraogoi n. sp. and C. yanni n. sp. The host-specificity of these parasites is discussed.     

Gill parasites of the genus Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea,Ancyrocephalidae) from Tilapia guineensis (Bleeker, 1862), with descriptions of six new species

A study of gill parasites of Tilapia guineensis (Bleeker, 1862) (Cichlidae) from different locations in West Africa (Senegal, Guinea, the Ivory Coast and the Congo) revealed the presence of twelve species of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea). Six have been recorded previously from T. zillii (Gervais, 1848) or Tristamella simonis (Günther, 1864) and six are considered new species: C. agnesi n. sp., C. bilongi n. sp., C. gallus n. sp., C. flexicolpos n. sp., C. louipaysani n. sp. and C. vexus n. sp. In the first three species cited, we report the presence of an auxiliary plate in the male copulatory complex which is characteristic of the species C. aegypticus Ergens, 1981, a parasite of Tilapia zillii.     

Two new species of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea, ancyrocephalidae) gill parasites on Hemichromis fasciatus (Pisces, Cichlidae) in Africa, with remarks on parasite geographical distribution

The examination of gill parasites from Hemichromis fasciatus Peters, 1858 (Pisces, Cichlidae) in Africa revealed the presence of nine species of Monogenea, three belong to Onchobdella Paperna, 1968 and the others to Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960. Seven have been previously described (O. aframae Paperna, 1968; O. bopeleti Bilong Bilong & Euzet, 1995; O. voltensis Paperna, 1968; C. dageti Dossou & Birgi, 1984; C. euzeti Dossou & Birgi, 1984; C. falcifer Dossou & Birgi, 1984 and C. longicirrus Paperna, 1965); two, belonging to the latter genus, are considered as new species: C. sanseoi n. sp. and C. teugelsi n. sp. As parasitic species are not present in all the host distribution area, we think that H. fasciatus is made up of two distinct populations (or even sister species).     

Four new species of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 (Monogenea,Ancyrocephalidae), all gill parasites from African mouthbreeder tilapias of the genera Sarotherodon and Oreochromis (Pisces,Cichlidae), with a redescription of C. thurstonae Ergens, 1981

A study of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus), O. aureus (Steindachner), Sarotherodon caudomarginatus (Boulenger), S. galilaeus (Linnaeus) and S. galilaeus sanagaensis (Thys van den Audenaerde) (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from different locations in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Niger and Senegal) revealed the presence of 11 species of monogenean gill parasites. Four, belonging to Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960 and considered as new species, are described: C. rognoni n. sp., C. douellouae n. sp., C. giostrai n. sp. and C. njinei n. sp. They are distinguished by the shape and/or size of the sclerotised parts of the haptoral and copulatory complexes. C. thurstonae Ergens, 1981 from O. niloticus is redescribed.     

Seven new species of Quadriacanthus Paperna, 1961 (Monogenea) from the gills of Heterobranchus longifilis and H. isopterus from the Ivory Coast,West Africa

The gills of two species of Siluriformes, Heterobranchus longifilis and H. isopterus collected from the Rivers Agnéby and Bia in the Ivory Coast (West Africa) revealed the presence of seven new species of Quadriacanthus Paperna, 1961 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae). The following parasites are described: Quadriacanthus longifilisi n. sp., Q. thysi n. sp., Q. ayameensis n. sp., Q. agnebiensis n. sp., Q. simplex n. sp., Q. gourenei n. sp. and Q. macrocirrus n. sp.     

Polysphondylium multicystogenum sp. nov., a new dictyostelid species from Sierra Leone, West Africa

Polysphondylium multicystogenum, a new heterothallic species of dictyostelids, is described based on three isolates collected from soils in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This species is characterized by sorophores with a combination of clavate base and ovoid to oblong tip cell, smaller spores and abundant microcyst production under the usual culture conditions for sorocarp formation at 20 C. This is the first report of Polysphondylium producing such abundant microcysts.     

New species in the fern genus Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae) from the islands in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa)

Three new species of Dryopteris, D. cicatricata J.P. Roux and D. caperata J.P. Roux from São Tomé and D. aurantiaca J.P. Roux from Annobón are described. All three taxa appear to be local endemics. A key to the Dryopteris species occurring on the islands in the Gulf of Guinea is provided.     

Monogenean stomach parasites of cichlid fishes from Cameroon: Two new species of the genusEnterogyrus Paperna, 1963 (Ancyrocephalidae)

Two ancyrocephalid monogeneans collected in Cameroon are described:Enterogyrus crassus n. sp. from the stomach ofTilapia nyongana andE. amieti n. sp. from the stomach ofSarotherodon galilaeus sanagaensis. The simultaneous occurrence ofE. cichlidarum Paperna, 1963 in the stomach of these two host species is also reported. The specificity of the two new species is discussed along with the value of haptor morphology (cupped or tongue-shaped) as a specific character in the taxonomy of the genusEnterogyrus.     

Eight new species ofHamatopeduncularia Yamaguti, 1953 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from Ariidae of Peninsular Malaysia

Eleven species of Hamatopeduncularia Yamaguti, 1953 were found on six species of ariids caught off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. They are: H. arii Yamaguti, 1953 from Arius maculatus; H. thalassini Bychowsky & Nagibina, 1969 from A. thalassinus; H. simplex Bychowsky & Nagibina, 1969 from Osteogeneiosus militaris; H. isosimplex n. sp. from A. venosus, A. maculatus and A. sagor; H. malayanus n. sp. from A. caelatus; H. manjungi n. sp. from A. thalassinus; H. papernai n. sp. from A. maculatus; H. elongatum n. sp. from A. thalassinus; H. longicopulatrix n. sp. from A. venosus; H. venosus n. sp. from A. venosus; and H. malaccensis n. sp. from O. militaris and A. maculatus.     

The sedimentology and context of Late Ordovician glacial marine sediments from Sierra Leone,West Africa

Glacial marine deposits (the Waterfall Formation of the Saionia Scarp Group) from northern Sierra Leone, West Africa, correlate with sequences in Guinea and Senegal and indicate a Late Ordovician age. The sediments (150 m in thickness) are laminated mudstones (rhythmites) of alternating fine laminae and lenticular, graded, coarse laminae a few millimetres thick. Dispersed clasts of various rock types occur within the rhythmites, which also locally contain slump structures. Interbedded with the rhythmites and dropstones are turbidites, with sole structures, amalgamated and graded beds. Transport directions are from the north.Deposition from low-density melt-water suspension currents derived from a shelf glacier is suggested for the rhythmites, with the clasts emplaced by iceberg rafting.Underlying the glacial sediments are subarkoses with heavy-mineral laminae and cross-bedded, super-mature quartz arenites attributed to a shallow-water tidal origin.The occurrence of glacial marine sediments in Sierra Leone provides a southwestern boundary to the ice-sheet which is well-documented as covering much of the Sahara and Northwest Africa during Late Ordovician time, and further emphasizes the great area affected by this glaciation.     

A systematic revision of the five-spotted Hemichromis complex (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from West Africa and Lower Guinea,with the description of a new species from Cameroon

Hydrobiologia - The group of large five-spotted Hemichromis species from West Africa and Lower Guinea was revised using an integrative approach combining morphometry (measurements,...     

The Impact of the West Africa Ebola Outbreak on Obstetric Health Care in Sierra Leone

Background

As Sierra Leone celebrates the end of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, we can begin to fully grasp its impact on already weak health systems. The EVD outbreak in West Africa forced many hospitals to close down or reduce their activity, either to prevent nosocomial transmission or because of staff shortages. The aim of this study is to assess the potential impact of EVD on nationwide access to obstetric care in Sierra Leone.

Methods and Findings

Community health officers collected weekly data between January 2014—May 2015 on in-hospital deliveries and caesarean sections (C-sections) from all open facilities (public, private for-profit and private non-profit sectors) offering emergency obstetrics in Sierra Leone. This was compared to official data of EVD cases per district. Logistic and Poisson regression analyses were used to compute risk and rate estimates. Nationwide, the number of in-hospital deliveries and C-sections decreased by over 20% during the EVD outbreak. The decline occurred early on in the EVD outbreak and was mainly attributable to the closing of private not-for-profit hospitals rather than government facilities. Due to difficulties in collecting data in the midst of an epidemic, limitations of this study include some missing data points.

Conclusions

Both the number of in-hospital deliveries and C-sections substantially declined shortly after the onset of the EVD outbreak. Since access to emergency obstetric care, like C-sections, is associated with decreased maternal mortality, many women are likely to have died due to the reduced access to appropriate care during childbirth. Future research on indirect health effects of health system breakdown should ideally be nationwide and continue also into the recovery phase. It is also important to understand the mechanisms behind the deterioration so that important health services can be reestablished.     

New species of Rhabdias (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) from Bufo occidentalis (Anura: Bufonidae) from Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico

Rhabdias kuzmini n. sp., a parasite of the lungs of Bufo occidentalis, is described and illustrated. This Mexican taxon differs from the related species in the genus by the possession of 4 lips (2 subdorsal and 2 subventral) and 2 lateral pseudolabia, corpus not inflated, a larger barrel-shaped buccal capsule, equatorial vulva, and the presence of a slightly swollen cuticle in the anterior and posterior ends of the body. This is the 16th species described in the Neotropical Realm and the first species of Rhabdias described from endemic anurans in México.     

Modularity in attachment organs of African Cichlidogyrus (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) reflects phylogeny rather than host specificity or geographic distribution

Cichlidogyrus spp. (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae) are common parasites of cichlid fishes from Africa and the Levant. They display important morphological variation in their attachment apparatus and infect a broad host spectrum throughout a wide geographic range. Thus, they offer an interesting model to investigate to what extent the phenotypic variability of the attachment organ among congeners is related to host specificity, geographic/environmental components, or phylogeny. A geometric morphometric approach was carried out to analyse the shape variation of sclerotized structures of the attachment organ within 66 African species of the genus Cichlidogyrus. The interspecific shape comparison supports the presence of three main morphological configurations, each consisting of a given combination of particular sclerite shapes. Moreover, data emphasize strong coordination and integration (shape co‐variation) among the different sclerites jointly forming the attachment organ. Although attachment apparatuses are usually considered to be the result of adaptive processes and must be adapted to the hosts and local environmental conditions, we found no relationship between these clusters and host specificity or geographical distribution. Nevertheless, groups are partially congruent with those obtained with the molecular phylogeny of a subset of species, suggesting a phylogenetic constraint rather than an adaptation to either hosts or environment. Because of the necessity to form a functional entity, modularity within attachment organ imposes important evolutionary constraint. This provides new insights into the evolvability of attachment organs, as well as into the morphological basis of host specificity and host–parasite co‐evolutionary interaction in helminth parasites. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102 , 694–706.