First record of Huffmanela schouteni (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae), a histozoic parasite of flyingfishes, in Europe

Examination of 3 specimens of the Mediterranean flyingfish Cheilopogon heterurus (Rafinesque) from the Ligurian Sea, Italy, revealed the presence of numerous, dark-shelled trichinelloid eggs (69 to 75 x 30 to 33 microm) inside the innermost layer of the swimbladder, mostly located in clumps arranged in a distinct pattern. These were identified as Huffmanela schouteni Moravec et Campbell, 1991, a species known so far as eggs in flyingfishes and in the stools of humans in Cura?ao. This is the first finding of this parasite in Europe and C. heterurus represents a new host record.