Philometroides africanus sp. n. (Nematoda: Philometridae), a new tissue parasite of the African pike Hepsetus odoe (Pisces) in Botswana.

A new species of philometrid nematode, Philometroides africanus sp. n., is described from female specimens found encapsulated in gill arches and inner surface of gill covers of the African pike, Hepsetus odoe (Bloch), an endemic freshwater fish in Africa, from the Okavango River and Delta in Botswana. This new nematode is characterised mainly by a markedly small and plump body of gravid females (body length 6-9 mm), a separate anterior oesophageal bulb, a conspicuously small oesophageal gland, presence of four pairs of very small submedian cephalic papillae, and absence of any caudal processes. The prevalence of P. africanus in African pike of the Okavango Delta was 29%, with the intensity 1-8 (mean 3) encapsulated nematodes per fish. The genus Margolisianum Blaylock et Overstreet, 1999 is considered a junior synonym of Philometroides Yamaguti, 1935 and, consequently, its type species is transferred to the latter as Philometroides bulbosus (Blaylock et Overstreet, 1999) comb. n.     

Five new species of philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) from marine fishes off Java, Indonesia

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, the following five species of the Philometridae (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) are described from female specimens collected from marine fishes off the southwestern coast of Java, Indonesia: Philometra lobotidis sp. n. from the abdominal cavity of the Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch) (Lobotidae, Perciformes); Philometra javaensis sp. n. from the abdominal cavity of the immaculate puffer Arothron immaculatus (Bloch et Schneider) (Tetraodontidae, Tetraodontiformes); Philometra psettoditis sp. n. from the musculature of the Indian spiny turbot Psettodes erumei (Bloch et Schneider) (Psettodidae, Pleuronectiformes); Philometroides indonesiensis sp. n. from the musculature of the hound needlefish Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus (Péron et Lesueur) (Belonidae, Beloniformes); and Philometroides trichiuri sp. n. from the dorsal fin of the largehead hairtail Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus (type host) and the savalai hairtail Lepturacanthus savala (Cuvier) (both Trichiuridae, Perciformes). All these new species are distinguished from their congeners parasitizing marine fishes by morphological (mainly the shape and structure of the cephalic and caudal ends and of the oesophagus) and biometrical features. Besides previously known Philometra pellucida (J?gerski?ld, 1893) and Philometra ocularis Moravec, Ogawa, Suzuki, Miyazaki et Donai, 2002, they are the only nominal philometrid species recorded from Indonesian waters.     

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.     

Two species of philometrid nematodes (philometridae) from marine fishes off Japan, including Philometroides branchiostegi sp. n. from Branchiostegus japonicus (malacanthidae)

Gravid females of two species of philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) were collected from marine perciform fishes in Japanese waters, mainly from the southern Sea of Japan. Based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy examinations, the previously described but poorly known species Philometra cryptocentri Yamaguti, 1961 is redescribed from specimens recovered from the abdominal cavity of Acanthogobius flavimanus (Temminck et Schlegel), Pterogobius elapoides (Günther) and P. zonoleucus Jordan et Snyder (all Gobiidae) (all new host records); the number (14) and arrangement of cephalic papillae in this species are described for the first time. The new species, Philometroides branchiostegi sp. n. from head tissues of Branchiostegus japonicus (Houttuyn) (Malacanthidae), based on a single specimen, is mainly characterized by the embossment of the entire body except for the cephalic end, presence of four submedian pairs of large cephalic papillae of external circle and two small lateral single papillae of internal circle, pair of large papilla-like caudal projections, the oesophagus with a distinct anterior inflation, by a markedly small body (length about 18 mm) and the larvae 306-465 microm long.     

Two new species of Apoloniinae (Acari: Trombiculoidea: Leeuwenhoekiidae) from African small mammals, with a key to the species of the world

The genus Liuella Wang et Bai, 1992 is transferred from Trombiculidae to Apoloniinae and a new species Liuella monosetosa sp. n. described from specimens taken in Morocco from the hosts Gerbillus sp. and Meriones libycus Lichtenstein. A new species of Straelensia Vercammen-Grandjean et Kolebinova, 1968, Straelensia variocula sp. n. is described from specimens taken in Morocco and Burkina Faso from the hosts Genetta thierryi Matschie, Gerbillus sp., M. libycus and Elephantulus rozeti (Duvernoy). A list of species, hosts and localities and a key to the species of the Apoloniinae of the world are presented.     

Observations on some nematodes parasitic in freshwater fishes in Laos

In 1989, samples of some freshwater fishes collected in Vientiane Province (R. Mekong basin) in Laos were examined for helminths. This material comprised 11 species of parasitic nematodes (7 adults and 4 larvae), including 3 species new to science: Camallanus (Camallanus) hampalae sp. n. from Hampala macrolepidota, Procamallanus (Punctocamallanus) punctatus sp. n. from Mystus rhegma and Mystus sp., and Rhabdochona (Globochona) equispiculata sp. n. from Hampala macrolepidota and H. dispar. Zeylanema Yeh, 1960 is considered a subgenus of the genus Camallanus, Dentocamallanus subgen. n. (type species C. (D.) sweeti (Moorthy, 1937)) is proposed for the species of Paracamallanus with teeth in the buccal capsule, and Punctocamallanus subgen. n. (type species P. (P.) punctatus sp. n.) for the species of Procamallanus with the buccal capsule ornamented with punctations. The name Rhabdochona wangi nom. nov. is proposed for R. bagarii Wang et Guo, 1983 (a homonym to R. bagarii Gupta et Srivastava, 1982) and Camallanus gomtii Gupta et Verma, 1978 is newly synonymized with Neocamallanus ophiocephali (Pearse, 1933). All the nematodes are recorded from Laos for the first time. The parasites are briefly described and illustrated and some problems concerning their taxonomy and geographical distribution are discussed.     

Taxonomical study into two new species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) previously identified as Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935)

Males of the nematode Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935), the type species of the genus Philometra Costa, 1845, were discovered for the first time in gonads of its type host, the Japanese seaperch, Lateolabraxjaponicus (Cuvier). Morphological comparisons carried out between the collected male and female P. lateolabracis with the male and female philometrid nematodes previously reported as P. lateolabracis infecting chicken grunt, Parapristipoma trilineatum (Thunberg), and red sea bream, Pagrus major (Temminck et Schlegel), revealed that the latter represent two new species, Philometra isaki sp. n. and Philometra madai sp. n., respectively. Molecular comparison of ITS2 rDNA between P. lateolabracis and P. madai supported the morphological conclusion that the two nematodes obtained from different fish species should be assigned to different species.     

Granulinema gen. n. a new dracunculoid genus with two new species (G. carcharhini sp. n. and G. simile sp. n.) from the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes), from Louisiana, USA

Two new species of dracunculoid nematodes, G. carcharhini sp. n. and G. simile sp. n., representing a new genus Granulinema gen. n. (Dracunculoidea: Micropleuridae) are described from the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, from Louisiana (Lake Borgne), USA; the site of their localization in the host is unknown (probably abdominal cavity). The nematodes of both species were found in tissue juice and only males, juvenile females and body fragments of more advanced but nongravid females were obtained. Granulinema gen. n. differs from Micropleura, the only other genus in the family Micropleuridae, mainly by the presence of marked, dark excretory corpuscles in lateral excretory canals, pointed tail in females, greater number (6) of postanal pairs of caudal papillae in males, and by the presence of conspicuous transverse cuticular ornamentations on the body surface of mature females. The two new species can be easily distinguished from each other by the length of their spicules (0.78-0.90 mm in G. carcharhini sp. n. and 0.20-0.36 mm in G. simile sp. n.); moreover, there are two pairs of preanal papillae in the male of G. carcharhini sp. n., while there are three pairs in G. simile sp. n.     

Two new nematodes,Paraseuratoides ophisterni gen. et sp. n. (Quimperiidae) and Philometra ophisterni sp. n. (Philometridae), from the swamp-eel Ophisternon aenigmaticum in Mexico

Two new nematodes, Paraseuratoides ophisterni gen. et sp. n. (Seuratoidea: Quimperiidae) and Philometra ophisterni sp. n. (Dracunculoidea: Philometridae) are described based on specimens recovered from the intestine and mesentery, respectively, of the swamp-eel Ophisternon aenigmaticum Rosen et Greenwood (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) from a canal of the Papaloapan River in Tlacotalpan, State of Veracruz, Mexico. The genus Paraseuratoides is mot similar to Paraseuratum Johnston et Mawson, 1940, differing from it mainly in the absence of a bulbous inflation on the anterior end of the oesophagus and in the structure of the mouth (presence of 6 spines in addition to 6 oesophageal teeth). Neoquimperia Wang, Zhao, Wang et Zhang, 1979 and Wuinema Yu et Wang, 1992 are synonymised with Ezonema Boyce, 1971 and Paragendria Baylis, 1939, respectively, and Haplonema hamulatum Moulton, 1931 is considered a junior synonym of Ichthyobronema conoura Gnedina et Savina, 1930. Philometra ophisterni (only females) is mainly characterised by minute cephalic papillae, a greatly developed anterior oesophageal bulb separated from the cylindrical part of the oesophagus, anterior extension of the oesophageal gland anterior to the nerve ring, and by the character of large caudal projections. This is the first Philometra species recorded from inland fishes in Mexico.     

A new species of Acanthochondria (Copepoda: Chondracanthidae) parasitizing the flounder Xystreurys rasile (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae) from Argentina

A new copepod species, Acanthochondria sagitta sp. n., is described based on specimens collected from the flounder Xystreurys rasile (Jordan) (Pleuronectiformes, Paralichthyidae), caught in the coastal waters off Necochea, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The new species differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: presence of three pairs of cephalic outgrowths; the triangular shape of the trunk with diverging postero-lateral processes; leg 2 of an intermediate shape between Types C and D, which projects laterally from the trunk, and Type B-V antennule bearing two proximal processes (one ventral and one dorsal) on the swollen basal portion.     

Some nematodes and acanthocephalans from exotic ornamental freshwater fishes imported into Germany

Five species of adult nematodes, unidentifiable nematode larvae, and three species of acanthocephalans, were found in freshwater ornamental fishes newly imported into Germany from Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The following species were identified: Adult Nematoda: Pseudocapillaria tomentosa, Capillariidae gen. sp., Dichelyne hartwichi sp. n., Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pintoi and Spinitectus allaeri; Acanthocephala: Pseudogorgorhynchus arii gen. et sp. n., Neoechinorhynchus sp. and Pallisentis sp. The nematode Dichelyne hartwichi sp. n. (male only) from the intestine of Chelonodon fluviatilis (Hamilton) from Thailand is characterised mainly by the presence of minute cuticular spines on the tail tip, length of spicules (510 microns) and arrangement of caudal papillae. The acanthocephalan Pseudogorgorhynchus arii sp. n. from the intestine of Ariopsis seemanni (Günther) from Colombia represents a new genus Pseudogorgorhynchus gen. n., differing from other genera of the Rhadinorhynchidae mainly in possessing a small proboscis armed with markedly few (18) hooks arranged in six spiral rows. Spinitectus macheirus Boomker et Puylaert, 1994 and Spinitectus moraveci Boomker et Puylaert, 1994 are considered junior synonyms of Spinitectus allaeri Campana-Rouget, 1961.     

Philometrid nematodes infecting fishes from the Everglades National Park, Florida, U.S.A

The following three species of the Philometridae (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) are described from marine perciform fishes of the Everglades National Park (northern Gulf of Mexico), Florida, U.S.A.: Philometra brevispicula sp. n. (male and females) from the subcutaneous tissue of mouth of the gray snapper Lutjanus griseus (Linnaeus) (Lutjanidae), Philometroides grandipapillatus sp. n. (only females) from pectoral fin muscle of the crevalle jack Caranx hippos (Linnaeus) (Carangidae), and Caranginema americanum Moravec, Montoya-Mendoza et Salgado-Maldonado, 2008 (females) from the subcutaneous fascia of trunk muscle in crevalle jack C. hippos. Philometra brevispicula is mainly characterized by small cephalic papillae of the external circle, the absence of oesophageal teeth and the presence of small caudal projections in gravid female, markedly short spicules (45 microm) in male, and by its location in the host. Philometroides grandipapillatus differs from congeners mainly in the shape of the cephalic region (narrow, conspicuously protruding), large cephalic papillae of the external circle and the absence of caudal projections in female, and by the site of infection in the host. Caranginema americanum is for the first time recorded from the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

Two new species of protogyrodactylus (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of Gerres nigri (Teleostei: Gerreidae) from Senegal

Protogyrodactylus ethiopicus sp. n. and P. kritskyi sp. n. are described from the gills of Gerres nigri Günther (Gerreidae, Perciformes) captured from the estuary of the Sine-Saloum River (Senegal, West Africa). These new species differ from previously described species within the genus by a mid- or dextro-ventral vaginal opening (dextral in all other species). They are part of a morphological species group within Protogyrodactylus Johnston et Tiegs, 1922 that has the tip of the superficial root of the ventral anchor resembling a hook and two anterior projections on the anterior margin of the ventral bar. Protogyrodactylus ethiopicus differs from the remaining species in this group mainly by the morphology of the base of the male copulatory organ (MCO), which is disk-shaped, and the shape of the anterior projections of the ventral bar (round in the new species and relatively elongate in the other species of the group). The other new species, P. kritskyi, differs from all others in the same morphological group in having a MCO with a greatly expanded base that bears a heel-like subterminal sclerotization.     

Structure of the female cephalic end and cuticular ornamentations of Paraphilometroides nemipteri (Nematoda:Philometridae), as revealed by SEM

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of a paratype specimen (gravid female) of the philometrid nematode Paraphilometroides nemipteri Moravec et Shaharom-Harrison, 1989, the type species of Paraphilometroides Moravec et Shaharom-Harrison, 1989, made it possible to recognise the true structure of the cephalic end and the shape of cuticular ornamentations on the body. In contrast to other philometrid genera, the cephalic end is angular in lateral view and rounded in dorsoventral view; large external cephalic papillae are fused together to form a marked dorsal and a ventral ala, each bent into a curve; six minute internal papillae, including a pair of previously not reported lateral papillae, were found; amphids were indistinct. Cuticular ornamentations (inflations) were found to be transversely elongated. These features, especially the unique cephalic structure, clearly distinguish Paraphilometroides from other philometrids and confirm the validity of this genus. Moravec and Shaharom-Harrison (1989) erected the hitherto monotypic philometrid genus Paraphilometroides Moravec et Shaharom-Harrison, 1989 with the type species P. Nemipteri Moravec et Shaharom-Harrison, 1989, described from females found in the fins and operculum of the marine fish (notchedfin threadfin bream) Nemipterusperonii (Valenciennes) from off the South China Sea coast, Malaysia. The male of P. nemipteri remains unknown. The authors distinguished Paraphilometroides from the related genus Philometroides Yamaguti, 1935 mainly by the unusual structure of the female cephalic end, which is unique within the family Philometridae (see Moravec 2006). However, P. nemipteri was studied only by light microscopy (LM), whereas some details of the cephalic structure, especially the cephalic papillae of gravid philometrid females are usually difficult to observe by LM due to a various degree of their reduction and atrophy (Moravec 2004); in the past, some philometrid species were even reported to have no cephalic papillae. Consequently, the only reliable method to study the cephalic structures in philometrids is the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Therefore, one of the ethanol-preserved paratype specimens (gravid female) of P. nemipteri, deposited in the Helminthologi-cal Collection of the Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre     

Plectanocotyle major sp. n. (Monogenea: Plectanocotylidae), a gill parasite of Chelidonichthys obscurus (Teleostei: Triglidae) from the Mediterranean Sea

Plectanocotyle major sp. n. (Monogenea: Polyopisthocotylea: Plectanocotylidae) is described from Chelidonichthys obscurus (Bloch et Schneider, 1801) collected from the Mediterranean coasts (Tunisia and France). The new species is compared to Plectanocotyle gurnardi collected on Chelidonichthys gurnardus and the only other valid species in the genus Plectanocotyle. The new species differs from P. gurnardi by the clamp size (137 microm vs 64 microm for clamp length and 110 microm vs 60 microm for clamp width, respectively) and the length of the male copulatory organ (107 microm vs 144 microm, respectively). Species of the Plectanocotylidae seem to be characterized by an oioxenic specificity.     

Descriptions of two new freshwater neotropical species of Rhinebothrium (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) from Potamotrygon motoro (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae)

Two new species of Rhinebothrium (Cestoda, Rhinebothriidea) from potamotrygonid stingrays in the Neotropical region are herein described, which raises the total number of Rhinebothrium species known from Neotropical freshwaters to five. Rhinebothrium corbatai sp. n., and Rhinebothrium mistyae sp. n. were both collected from Potamotrygon motoro (Müller et Henle), captured in four tributaries of the Paraná River in Santa Fé Province, Argentina. The new species can be distinguished from their congeners, and from each other, by a combination of various features, including worm size (length and number of proglottids), number of loculi per bothridium, microthrix pattern, size of the cirrus sac, and the extent of the vas deferens. The discovery of these new species from P. motoro supports the pattern of high host specificity in this cestode genus, and reinforces the notion that some of the previous records of the enigmatic R. paratrygoni may correspond to new species of Rhinebothrium yet to be described.     

Additional records of nematode parasites from Papua New Guinea amphibians with a list of recorded endohelminths by amphibian hosts

An examination of a small sample of four species of frogs (Cophixalus riparius, Phrynomantis humicola, Ph. stictogaster, Ph. wilhelmana) from Papua New Guinea yielded altogether 5 species of nematodes, 2 of them being new to science. These include: Cosmocercella phrynomantisi sp. n. (type host Ph. humicola), Spinicaudinae gen. sp., Parathelandros andersoni sp. n. (type host C. riparius), Oswaldocruzia bakeri, and Paracapillaria spratti. C. phrynomantisi sp. n. differs from congeneric species mainly in the length of spicules (0.180 mm) and the character, arrangement and number of caudal papillae in the male, while P. andersoni sp. n. is characterized mainly by the presence of four well developed spines on the male tail. Pseudocapillaria spratti is redescribed in detail and it is transferred to Paracapillaria as P. spratti (Moravec et Sey, 1986) comb. n. Capillaria combesi Chabaud et Knoepffler, 1985 is transferred to Amphibiocapillaria Moravec, 1982 and Capillaria petiti Justine et Bain, 1987 to Pseudocapillaria Freitas, 1959. A survey of the endohelminths (excluding Hirudinea) hitherto reported from New Guinea amphibians is presented.     

Paraphilometroides nemipteri gen. et sp. n. (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the marine fish Nemipterus peronii (Valenciennes) from Malaysia

A new nematode species, Paraphilometroides nemipteri sp. n. is described from the female specimens collected from the dorsal fin and operculum of the marine perciforme fish, Nemipterus peronii off Kuala Terengganu coastal waters in Malaysia. It considerably differs from all other species in Philometridae in the structure of the head end (presence of wide dorsal and ventral cephalic cuticular alae supported by special inner transverse muscular formations) and, therefore, a new genus Paraphilometroides gen. n. has been erected to accommodate it. Additional characteristic features of P. nemipteri are the presence of cuticular bosses on the body, eight cephalic papillae in the outer circle and four small papillae in the inner circle, and the absence of caudal protrusions.