Systematic status of Manaosia bracodemoca Woodland, 1935 and Paramonticellia itaipuensis Pavanelli et Rego, 1991 (Eucestoda: Proteocephalidea), parasites of Sorubim lima (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from South America

Type material of the proteocephalidean cestodes Manaosia bracodemoca Woodland, 1935 and Paramonticellia itaipuensis Pavanelli et Rego, 1991 (both monotypic genera) as well as recently collected material of the latter species are redescribed. A close similarity between both species was observed: the shape of scoleces is identical, both possess a globular scolex with hidden suckers, a well-developed circular, horseshoe-shaped musculature surrounding suckers; the measurements of both taxa are also similar (scolex, suckers, young proglottides). Both cestodes possess a medullary ovary crossing the dorsal muscle layer and ending in the dorsal cortex, the testes are in the dorsal cortex and the cortical vitellarium is laterally situated. Both species parasitize the same fish host. Therefore Paramonticellia is considered a junior synonym of Manaosia and Paramonticellia itaipuensis becomes a junior synonym of Manaosia bracodemoca. An emended diagnosis of Manaosia, which is a monotypic genus, is provided.     

Two new genera and two new species of proteocephalidean tapeworms (Eucestoda) from reptiles and amphibians in Australia

The examination of the type series of Ophiotaenia Gallardi (Johnston, 1911) (syn. Proteocephalus gallardi Johnston, 1911) revealed that it is a mixture of two species of different genera. Lectotype of Ophiotaenia gallardi is designated and the species is redescribed on the basis of it, conspecific paralectotypes and additional materials. The remaining part of the type series belongs to Vandiermenia gen. n. (Acanthotaeniinae), with V Beveridgei sp. n. as the type- and only species. The new genus differs from all other acanthotaeniine genera, i.e. Rostellotaenia Freze, 1963, Acanthotaenia von Linstow, 1903 and Kapsulotaenia Freze, 1963, by the presence of cortical uterine stem and paramuscular vitelline follicles, particular structure of the internal longitudinal musculature (absent laterally and more developed than in the three above-mentioned genera) and testes limited in two fields separated medially. Type series of Ophiotaenia mjobergi (Nybelin, 1917) (syn. Crepidobothrium mjobergi Nybelin, 1917), O. amphiboluri (Nybelin, 1917) (syn. Crepidobothrium amphiboluri Nybelin, 1917), O. striata (Johnston, 1914) (syn. Acanthotaenia striata Johnston, 1914) and O. longmani Johnston, 1916 are revised and compared with Ophiotaenia gallardi. Australotaenia hylae (Johnston, 1912) comb. n. is proposed for Ophiotaenia hylae Johnston, 1912. Australotaenia gen. n. differs from the remaining genera of the subfamily Acanthotaeniinae by (1) the Type 2 of the formation of the uterus (sensu de Chambrier et al. 2004) (all the other acanthotaeniines have the Type 1 of uterine development), (2) the cortical position of the uterine stem (all the other genera have medullary uterine stem) and (3) the morphology of the internal longitudinal musculature, which is composed of few well-developed bundles of fibres (in contrast to the other genera). The new genus also differs from ?by eggs not in clusters, the presence of two testicular fields (versus one in Vandiermenia) and the structure of the longitudinal internal musculature with only 8-10 bundles (versus formed by numerous bundles and with the presence of secondary muscles in Vandiermenia). Ophiotaenia sp. sensu de Chambrier (2004), a parasite of Litoria moorei, is described as Australotaenia grobeli sp. n., which can be distinguished from Australotaenia hylae by the smaller number of testes (46-76 versus 74-106), greater cirrus-sac length/width of proglottis ratio (27-33% versus 17-19%) and the smaller ovary width/proglottis width ratio (55-63% versus 68-71%).     

Revision of the genus Anguillicola Yamaguti, 1935 (Nematoda: Anguillicolidae) of the swimbladder of eels, including descriptions of two new species, A. novaezelandiae sp. n. and A. papernai sp. n

The genus Anguillicola is reviewed on the basis of the examination of some type specimens and other material. Two new species are described: A. novaezelandiae sp. n. from Anguilla australis (type host) from New Zealand and A. anguilla from Italy (conspecific nematodes were originally reported from Italy as A. australiensis) and A. papernai sp. n. from Anguilla mossambica from South Africa. At present the genus Anguillicola comprises the following five valid species: A. globiceps Yamaguti, 1935, A. australiensis Johnston et Mawson, 1940, A. crassus Kuwahara, Niimi et Itagaki, 1974, A. novaezelandiae sp. n., and A. papernai sp. n. Two Anguillicola species, A. crassus and A. novaezelandiae, were apparently introduced in Europe from other continents a few years ago. The genus Anguillicola is divided into two subgenera: Anguillicola (type species A. (A.) globiceps) and Anguillicoloides subgen. n. (type species A. (A.) crassus). All Anguillicola species are briefly described and illustrated. The paper is supplemented by a key to the identification of Anguillicola species.     

Ailinella mirabilis gen. n., sp. n. (eucestoda: pseudophyllidea) from Galaxias maculatus (Pisces: Galaxiidae) in the Andean-Patagonian region of Argentina

Ailinella gen. n. (Pseudophyllidea: Triaenophoridae) is proposed to accommodate Ailinella mirabilis sp. n. from Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842), a freshwater fish inhabiting the Andean lakes in Argentinean Patagonia. Ailinella belongs to the Triaenophoridae because it has a marginal genital pore, a follicular vitelline gland, and a ventral uterine pore. The new genus can be distinguished from other triaenophorids by the following combination of characters: a small body size, a low number of proglottides, which are longer than wide, a truncated pyramidal to globular scolex, a rectangular apical disc, presence of the neck, lack of internal longitudinal musculature separating the cortex from the medulla, testes distributed in one central field surrounding the ovary laterally and posteriorly, the vagina predominantly anterior to the cirrus sac, vitelline follicles circum-medullary, the genital pores post-equatorial, a saccate uterus, and operculate eggs. Blade-like spiniform microtriches were present on all tegument surfaces, and tumuli on all surfaces of the scolex and the anterior surface of the neck. Microtriches were characterized according to their size and density, and tumuli according to their size, inter-tumulus distance and density. Ailinella mirabilis is the first cestode described from G. maculatus and the second triaenophorid species recorded from a South American freshwater fish.     

Three new species of the ectoparasitic mites of the genus Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from passeriform birds from Slovakia

Three new quill mite species of the genus Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from Slovakia are described and figured: S. bombycillae sp. n. from the waxwing Bombycilla garrulus (L.) (Passeriformes: Bombycillidae), S. schoeniclus sp. n. from the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus L. (Passcriformes: Emberizidae) and S. montanus sp. n. from the tree sparrow Passer monlanus (L.) (Passeriformes: Ploceidae). A key to all known species of the genus Syringophiloidus is given.     

Three new species of Echinobothrium (Cestoda: Diphyllidea) from Indo-Pacific stingrays of the genus Pastinachus (Rajiformes: Dasyatidae)

Three new species of diphyllidean cestodes are described from stingrays of the genus Pastinachus from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. All three new species differ from all but 10 of the 36 valid species of Echinobothrium van Beneden, 1849 in that they bear lateral hooklets arranged in a continuous band across each lateral surface of the rostellum joining the groups of dorsal and ventral apical hooks, rather than arranged in distinct dorsal and ventral groups, on each side of the apical hooks. Echinobothrium nataliae sp. n. ex Pastinachus solocirostris off Borneo differs from other relatives in the following combination of characters: number of spines in each column on the cephalic peduncle, number of lateral hooklets and number of apical hooks. Echinobothrium reginae sp. n. ex Pastinachus cf. sephen off Madagascar differs from all congeners in the following combination of characters: number of hooklets and number of spines on the cephalic peduncle. Echinobothrium vojtai sp. n. from an undescribed species of Pastinachus off Borneo differs from its congeners in the following combination of characters: number of hooklets, number of apical hooks and number of spines in each column on the cephalic peduncle. The hook formula was modified to accommodate species with lateral hooklets arranged in a continuous band as follows: {(LH) AH(A)/AH(B)}, where (LH) is the total number of lateral hooklets in a band. A table of all nominal species of Echinobothrium, showing their taxonomic status, type host and locality, number of peduncle spines in a column and hook formula, is presented. Macrobothridium djeddensis and Macrobothridium sinensis are transferred to Echinobothrium. In addition, Echinobothrium deeghai is considered as a species inquirenda.     

Caryophyllidean tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Eucestoda) from freshwater fishes in Japan

The following caryophyllidean tapeworms were found in freshwater fishes from Japan (species reported from Japan for the first time marked with an asterisk): family Caryophyllaeidae: Paracaryophyllaeus gotoi (Motomura, 1927) from Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor); Archigetes sieboldi Leuckart, 1878 from Pseudorasbora parva (Temminck et Schlegel) and Sarcocheilichthys variegatus microoculus Mori (new hosts); family Lytocestidae: *Caryophyllaeides ergensi Scholz, 1990 from Tribolodon hakuensis (Günther), T. ezoe Okada et Ikeda, Hemibarbus barbus (Temminck et Schlegel) and Chaenogobius sp. (new hosts); Khawia japonensis (Yamaguti, 1934) from Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus; K. sinensis Hsü, 1935 from H. barbus (new host) and C. carpio; *K. parva (Zmeev, 1936) from Carassius auratus langsdorfii Valenciennes in Cuvier et Valenciennes and Carassius sp. (new hosts); and *Atractolytocestus sagittatus (Kulakovskaya et Akhmerov, 1962) from C. carpio; family Capingentidae: *Breviscolex orientalis Kulakovskaya, 1962 from H. barbus (new host); and Caryophyllidea gen. sp. (probably Breviscolex orientalis) from C. carpio. The validity of C. ergensi, originally described from Leuciscus leuciscus baicalensis from Mongolia, is confirmed on the basis of an evaluation of extensive material from Japan. Atractolytocestus sagittatus (syn. Markevitschia sagittata) is tentatively considered a valid species, differing from the only congener, A. huronensis Anthony, 1958, in its considerably greater number of testes.     

Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from the heart of cobia Rachycentron canadum (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) infects the myocardium and atrial wall of the cobia Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766) (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi, USA. It is the first member of Psettarium Goto et Ozaki, 1930 reported from other than the Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean and the second species of the genus reported from cobia. It differs from its congeners by the combination of having posterior caeca with lateral projections appearing as thorns in lateral view and the male pore anterior to the o?type. The species of Psettarium, P. japonicum (Goto et Ozaki, 1929) (type species), P. tropicum Manter, 1940, P. sebastodorum Holmes, 1971, P. rachycentri (Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) comb. n. (syn. Psettarioides rachycentri Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) and P. anthicum sp. n., differ from other sanguinicolids by the combination of having an elongate body with a sinistral posterolateral protuberance, minute, straight tegumental body spines in ventrolateral transverse rows, posterior caeca greater than seven time the anterior caeca length, the o6type near the posterior end of the body, a uterus primarily between the ovary and o?type and an oviduct and vitelline duct extending posteriad primarily between the uterus and dextral body margin. We emend Psettarium and provide a diagnostic key to the species. Psettarioides is regarded as a junior synonym of Psettarium because herein we return its type species, P. tropicum, to Psettarium. Regarding the three other sanguinicolids formerly of Psettarioides, we suspect that P. pseudupenei Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972 belongs to Psettarium but include it only tentatively pending an examination of type or other material; we tentatively place P. kurochkini Parukhin, 1976 in Cardicola Short, 1952; and we designate P. grandis (Lebedev et Mamaev, 1968) as incertae sedis pending examination of type or other appropriate material.     

Anthobothrium altavelae sp. n. (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from the spiny butterfly ray Gymnura altavela (Elasmobranchii: gymnuridae) in Tunisia

Seven Gymnura altavela (Linnaeus, 1758) (Elasmobranchii, Myliobatiformes) caught off the Tunisian coast were examined for endoparasites during a three-year period (1995-1998). A phyllobothriid cestode new to science was found in the spiral intestine of all host specimens. The presence of a tetrabothridiate scolex, bothridia lacking an apical sucker, laciniate strobila, and possession of postvaginal testes are sufficient to place this species in the genus Anthobothrium Van Beneden, 1850. In this genus, we consider that only two species, both previously reported from carcharhiniform sharks, are valid: Anthobothrium cornucopia Van Beneden, 1850 and A. laciniatum Linton, 1890. Anthobothrium altavelae sp. n. can be distinguished from its congeners by its length, strobila morphology, and the number of testes. The taxonomic position of the species attributed to Anthobothrium parasitic in gymnurids is discussed.     

Three species of Magnibursatus Naidenova, 1969 (Digenea: Derogenidae) from Atlantic and Black Sea marine teleosts

Three species of Magnibursatus Naidenova, 1969 are described from marine teleosts: M. skrjabini (Vlasenko, 1931), the type species of the genus, from the gobiid Zosterisessor ophiocephalus on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast; M. bartolii sp. n. from the sparid Boops boops off the Atlantic coast of Spain; and M. minutus sp. n. from the gobiid Neogobius eurycephalus on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. M. bartolii differs from all other Magnibursatus species in its larger sinus-sac (length > 250 microm, width > 150 microm) and the more posterior location of testes. This species is also unusual in that it occurs in the branchial chamber and on the gills of its host. M. minutus is distinguished by the distinctly smaller dimensions of the body (length < 1000 microm, width < 200 microm), organs and eggs. These species are also distinguished from both M. caudofilamentosa (Reimer, 1971) and Tyrrhenia blennii Paggi et Orecchia, 1975. A key to the species of Magnibursatus is presented.     

Branchotenthes octohamatus sp. n. (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) from the gills of the southern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina fasciata (Rhinobatidae) in South Australia: description of adult and larva

Branchotenthes octohamatus sp. n. (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) is described from the gills of the southern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina fasciata Müller et Henle (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae), off Adelaide, South Australia. It is distinguished from the type species, Branchotenthes robinoverstreeti Bullard et Dippenaar, 2003, by producing eggs that are joined end to end forming a chain, in the morphology of the male copulatory organ that has a pronounced constriction in duct diameter between proximal and distal regions, the possession of a thin muscular layer surrounding the proximal part of the male copulatory organ and distal region of the vaginae, and by the absence of a raised process on the shaft of the hamulus. An amended generic diagnosis is provided and the reliability of sperm duct number as a generic character is discussed. The oncomiracidium of B. octohamatus is also described and is the first monogenean to be described with only eight hooklets in the larval haptor. This discovery of eight hooklets may be important for higher-level monogenean evolutionary hypotheses.     

The status of Rhoptrobothrium Shipley et Hornell, 1906 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea), with redescription of the type species, R. myliobatidis, and description of three new species from two species of Aetomylaeus (Myliobatiformes: Myliobatidae) from Malaysian Borneo

As part of a metazoan parasite survey of elasmobranchs from Malaysian Borneo, specimens of Rhoptrobothrium Shipley et Hornell, 1906 were collected from the eagle rays Aetomylaeus maculatus (Gray) and Aetomylaeus niehofii (Bloch et Schneider). The type species is redescribed from its type host, and a neotype specimen is designated. In addition, three new species of Rhoptrobothrium are described: R. chongi sp. n., R. gambangi sp. n. and R. limae sp. n. Rhoptrobothrium myliobatidis conspicuously differs from the three new species in its lack of a secondary areola; R. limae is distinguished from R. chongi and R. gambangi based on its greater total length; R. chongi possesses conspicuously stalked remi, while R. gambangi possesses short remi, often folded anteriorly. Rhoptrobothrium is somewhat unusual among tetraphyllideans in its possession of a "metascolex," a character it shares with other taxa in the Thysanocephalinae (i.e., Myzocephalus Shipley et Hornell, 1906, Myzophyllobothrium Shipley et Hornell, 1906 and Thysanocephalum Linton, 1889). The morphology of the "metascolex" of Rhoptrobothrium is investigated and new terminology is suggested to standardise the names given to structures constituting a metascolex. As a result, Rhoptrobothrium is considered to possess cephalic peduncle extensions, termed remi. In Rhoptrobothrium, each remus bears, at its distal end, a primary areola, and, in the case of the three new species, also a secondary areola proximal to the primary areola. Myzocephalus and Myzophyllobothrium are tentatively considered to possess remi; the configuration of the "metascolex" of Thysanocephalum, however, is not considered homologous to the condition in the other three genera currently placed in the Thysanocephalinae.     

Sphaerospora elwhaiensis sp.n. (Myxosporea: Sphaerosporidae) from landlocked sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka (Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) in Washington State, USA

A new species of sphaerosporid myxosporean, Sphaerospora elwhaiensis sp. n., is described from kidney of non-anadromous sockeye salmon (kokanee) Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum) from Lake Sutherland in the northern Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA. Infection with the parasite was detected in 45% of 177 kokanee examined over 5 years. While conforming to the morphological criteria by which members of the genus are defined, the parasite is distinguished from congeners in salmonids of western North America by a unique combination of valvular sculpting of the myxospore, the relatively large size of the myxospore and monosporous development within the pseudoplasmodium. In addition, nucleotide sequences of the parasite's small and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene are unique. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences suggested that the parasite is most closely related to freshwater Myxidium spp. and Zschokkella spp. The molecular data have provided further evidence for a polyphyletic association previously recognized among members of the genus and emphasize the need for a taxonomic revision of Sphaerospora Thélohan, 1892 and related genera.     

A new genus and two new species of Anteroporidae (Cestoda: Lecanicephalidea) from the darkspotted numbfish, Narcine maculata (Torpediniformes: Narcinidae), off Malaysian Borneo

The cestode fauna of the darkspotted numbfish, Narcine maculata (Shaw) (Torpediniformes: Narcinidae), from Malaysian Bomrneo was examined for the first time. This work resulted in the discovery of a new genus and two new species of Anteroporidae (Lecanicephalidea). Sesquipedalapex comicus gen. n., sp. n. was erected on the basis of the peculiarities of its scolex, in particular its possession of an extremely long apical modification of the scolex proper, which readily distinguishes it from the other genus in the family. The genus is also distinct in its possession of acetabula that are in the form of suckers, rather than bothridiate in form. This species was found to deeply embed its elongate apical structure for much of its length within the intestinal mucosa, provoking a papilliform expansion of the outer wall of the spiral intestine at the site of attachment. The second new species, Anteropora klosmamorphis sp. n., is readily distinguished from its congeners on the basis of testis number and bothridial shape. Both new species are hyperapolytic. The diagnosis of Anteroporidae is amended to accommodate both new taxa. This increases the total number of genera in the family to two, and the total number of species to five.     

The role of mite pocket-like structures on Agama caudospinosa (Agamidae) infested by Pterygosoma livingstonei sp. n. (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae)

Pterygosoma livingstonei sp. n. collected from the Kenyan lizard Agama caudospinosa Meek shows morphological affinities with other South African congener species parasitizing lizards of the genus Agama, especially with P. triangulare Lawrence, 1936, but it differs in having glabrous genua II and III. P. livingstonei shows affinities with the Lawrence's hispida species group in the characters of genital and peripheral setae. This new species was found concentrated in a nuchal "mite pocket-like structure", a behaviour previously unreported among species belonging to the genus Pterygosoma. Mite pockets (or acarodomatia, acarinaria) of lizards typically house damaging chigger mites, and are usually interpreted as the evolutionary host's response to limit damage caused by parasites. Because scale mites are permanent ectoparasites and less damaging than seasonally occurring larval trombiculids, the heavy infestation by P. livingstonei in the nuchal skin folds of its host is interpreted as a consequence of the best utilisation of an available protected site by these mites that spend their entire life cycle on their host and whose primitive body shape prevents them from seeking shelter beneath the scales of their lizard host.