Two new species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) parasitizing Girardinichthys multiradiatus (Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae), an endemic freshwater fish from central Mexico

Gyrodactylus mexicanus n. sp. and Gyrodactylus lamothei n. sp. are described from the fins and skin of Girardinichthys multiradiatus, an endemic freshwater fish from central Mexico. Gyrodactylus mexicanus is compared to other Gyrodactylus species that parasitize Fundulus spp., the phylogenetically closest group to the Goodeidae from North America. Gyrodactylus mexicanus is distinguished by having large anchors with well-developed superficial roots, enlarged hooks with a proximally disrupted shank (ligament), and a ventral bar with 2 poorly developed anterolateral projections and a small medial process. Gyrodactylus lamothei is distinguished from G. mexicanus and from other species of Gyrodactylus on the North American continent by having anchors with a sclerite on the superficial root and robust hooks with a straight shaft and a recurved point.     

New species of Demidospermus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) of pimelodid catfish (Siluriformes) from Peruvian Amazonia and the reassignment of Urocleidoides lebedevi Kritsky and Thatcher, 1976

Three new species of Demidospermus Suriano, 1983 were found in mixed infections on the gills of 4 pimelodid catfish collected in the Amazon River basin around Iquitos, Peru, namely, Demidospermus peruvianus n. sp. from Pimelodus ornatus Kner, Pimelodus blochii Valenciennes, Pimelodus sp. (type host), and an unidentified pimelodid. Demidospermus peruvianus n. sp. (type host, Pimelodus sp.) is characterized by the presence of the male copulatory organ with 2 lateral, thickened projections, and the vagina with a loop at its middle. Demidospermus curvovaginatus n. sp. from P. ornatus , Pimelodus sp. (type host), and Pimelodidae gen. sp. differs from its congeners by the presence of a funnel-shaped vagina directed posteriorly and a male copulatory organ with a small lateral projection at its base. Demidospermus striatus n. sp. from P. blochii and Pimelodus sp. (type host) is distinguished by a cup-shaped vagina with conspicuous ridges at the perimeter of the aperture with a short tube directed anteriorly. In addition, Urocleidoides lebedevi Kritsky and Thatcher, 1976 , a parasite originally described from the gills of Pimelodus grosskopfii (type host) from Colombia, is transferred to Demidospermus , based on morphological characters that we observed in type specimens.     

New species and geographical records of dactylogyrids (Monogenea) of catfish (Siluriformes) from the Peruvian Amazonia

Three new species of gill monogeneans (Dactylogyridae: Ancyrocephalinae) are described from siluriform catfish from Iquitos, Peru: Demidospermus mortenthaleri n. sp. from Brachyplatystoma juruense (Boulenger), Demidospermus brevicirrus n. sp. from Pimelodus sp., and Aphanoblastella aurorae n. sp. from Goeldiella eques (Müller & Troschel). Demidospermus mortenthaleri is characterized by a male copulatory organ (MCO) with a small loop at its middle portion; 2 types of hooks, of which pairs 5 and 6 are longer than the remaining hooks; a proximal subunit round and highly depressed thumb; and a sclerotized vagina with a round pad at the vaginal aperture. Demidospermus brevicirrus is distinguished from other congeners by the presence of a short, straight, and robust MCO and boot-shaped accessory piece with a hooked projection directed posteriorly. Aphanoblastella aurorae is the only species of the genus that possesses an arrow-shaped sclerotized vagina and a medial process on the dorsal bar. Another 6 dactylogyrids described previously are recorded for the first time from the Peruvian Amazonia: Cosmetocleithrum bulbocirrus Kritsky, Thatcher and Boeger, 1986 ; Vancleaveus fungulus Kritsky, Thatcher and Boeger, 1986 ; V. janauacaensis Kritsky, Thatcher and Boeger, 1986 ; V. platyrhynchi Kritsky, Thatcher and Boeger, 1986 ; Unilatus unilatus Mizelle and Kritsky, 1967 ; and U. brittani Mizelle, Kritsky and Crane, 1968 . Based on observations of specimens collected in the Peruvian Amazonia, new morphological data for these species are provided. Comparison of new specimens of U. unilatus and U. brittani with those of Unilatus brevispinus Suriano, 1985 and Unilatus longispinus Suriano, 1985 , both originally described from Brazil, has shown that they are conspecific. Therefore, the latter species were synonymized with U. unilatus and U. brittani , respectively. In addition, 56 undescribed monogeneans found in catfish from the Peruvian Amazonia, some of them probably belonging to new genera, are listed.     

Checklist of the helminth parasites of the genus Profundulus Hubbs, 1924 (Cyprinodontiformes,Profundulidae), an endemic family of freshwater fishes in Middle-America

From December 2012 to November 2014, 267 fish belonging to the family Profundulidae (representing nine of the 11 species of the genus Profundulus) were collected in 26 localities of Middle-America, across southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, comprising the distribution range of the genus, and analyzed for helminth parasites. Additionally, a database with all ten available published accounts of the helminth parasite fauna of this genus (the only genus within the family) was assembled. Based on both sources of information, a checklist containing all the records was compiled as a tool to address future questions in the areas of evolutionary biology, biogeography, ecology and phylogeography of this host-parasite association. The helminth parasite fauna of this fish group consists of 20 nominal species, classified in 17 genera and 14 families. It includes six species of adult digeneans, five metacercariae, two monogeneans, one adult cestode, three adult nematodes and three larval nematodes. The profundulid fishes are parasitized by a specialized group of helminth species (e.g. Paracreptotrema blancoi sensu Salgado-Maldonado et al. (2011b), Paracreptotrema profundulusi Salgado-Maldonado, Caspeta-Mandujano & Martínez Ramírez, 2011, Phyllodistomum spinopapillatum Pérez-Ponce de León, Pinacho-Pinacho, Mendoza-Garfias & García-Varela, 2015, Spinitectus humbertoi Mandujano-Caspeta & Moravec, 2000, Spinitectus mariaisabelae Caspeta-Mandujano Cabañas-Carranza & Salgado-Maldonado, 2007 and Rhabdochona salgadoi Mandujano-Caspeta & Moravec, 2000), representing the core helminth fauna that are not shared with other Middle-American fish species.     

Walteriella n. g. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of pimelodid catfishes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the Peruvian Amazonia based on morphological and molecular data

Systematic Parasitology - On the basis of morphological and molecular data, Walteriella n. g. is proposed to accommodate the dactylogyrid parasites Walteriella conica n. sp. (type-species) from the...     

Boegeriella nom. nov. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) for Walteriella Mendoza-Palmero,Mendoza-Franco,Acosta & Scholz, 2019, a junior homonym of Walteriella Kazantsev, 2001 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Walteriella Mendoza-Palmero, Mendoza-Franco, Acosta & Scholz, 2019 was found to be a junior homonym of Walteriella Kazantsev, 2001 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), also known as soldier beetles, and is replaced by Boegeriella nom. nov. (Dactylogyridae). The two species originally included into the genus, Walteriella conica Mendoza-Palmero, Mendoza-Franco, Acosta & Scholz, 2019 (type-species) and Walteriella ophiocirrus Mendoza-Palmero, Mendoza-Franco, Acosta & Scholz, 2019, are transferred as Boegeriella conica (Mendoza-Palmero, Mendoza-Franco, Acosta & Scholz, 2019) n. comb. and Boegeriella ophiocirrus (Mendoza-Palmero, Mendoza-Franco, Acosta & Scholz, 2019) n. comb.