Philometra johnii sp. nov. (Nematoda, Philometridae), a new gonad-infecting philometrid from the sin croaker Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier) (Perciformes, Sciaenidae) from marine waters of Iraq

A new nematode species, Philometra johnii sp. nov. (Philometridae), is described from male and female specimens found in the ovary of the sin croaker, Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier) (Perciformes, Sciaenidae), in the Arabian Gulf, off the southern coast of Iraq. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examination, the new species differs from all other gonad-infecting Philometra spp. with dorsal lamella-like structures on the distal tip of the gubernaculum in having a dorsal bipartite protuberance formed by two subdorsal lamellated parts separated from each other by a smooth longitudinal field. This gubernaculum structure is unique among all philometrids. Other distinguishing features include the structure of the male tail, number (6 pairs) and arrangement of genital papillae and the length of spicules (102–153 μm). From eight congeneric, gonad-infecting species with unknown males, the new species can be distinguished by some morphological and biometrical features found in gravid females (absence of caudal projections, length of oesophagus, moderately developed anterior oesophageal inflation, length of first-stage larvae) by the host type (fish family) and geographical distribution. Philometra johnii sp. nov. is the fourth known philometrid species recorded from marine waters of Iraq.     

Gonad-infecting philometrid Philometra philippinensis sp. nov. (Nematoda, Philometridae) from the bigeye barracuda Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier (Sphyraenidae) off Mariveles, Bataan Province, Philippine archipelago

We conducted a parasitological study to identify nematodes infecting the gonads of bigeye barracuda Sphyraena forsteri Cuvier (Sphyraenidae) caught in the West Philippine Sea, off the Mariveles coast, Bataan Province, the Philippine archipelago. Males and very tiny nongravid female philometrid nematodes were collected from the ovaries of the fish. Based on light and scanning electron microscope observations, and supported by molecular analyses of the partial nucleotide sequences of the 18S small subunit ribosomal DNA, the philometrid nematode was determined to be a new species belonging to the genus Philometra Costa, 1845 in the family Philometridae (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea), and was named P. philippinensis sp. nov. This new species was clearly distinguishable morphologically from other congeners that parasitize the gonads of marine fishes. Males have unique sickle-shaped spicules and gubernaculum, and a vulva-like cloacal opening. Following Dentirumai philippinensis Quiazon et Moravec, 2013 and Philometra robusta Moravec, Möller et Heeger, 1992, this is the third philometrid species and the first gonad-infecting philometrid from the Philippine archipelago.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dichelyne</Emphasis> (Nematoda,Cucullanidae) parasitizing sciaenid fishes from off the South American Atlantic coast

A new nematode species Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) sciaenidicola sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from the Whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest) and the Argentine croaker Umbrina canosai Berg, from coastal waters of Argentina and Brazil. These nematodes were firstly identified as D. (C.) elongatus (Törnquist, 1931), a commonly reported species from M. furnieri in South American Atlantic waters. However, other species of Dichelyne have so far been reported from this host in the same area, namely D. (C.) rodriguesi (Pinto, Fábio et Noronha, 1970), D. (C.) amaruincai (Freitas, Vicente et Ibañez, 1969) and D. (Dichelyne) micropogonii Pereira et Costa, 1996. A careful re-examination of these parasites, as well as of type specimens of all species reported from M. furnieri, revealed that these nematodes represented a new species. The new species is distinguished from most of its congeners by having papillae 5–7 and 9 forming a subventral line close to cloaca, this feature is shared with other 6 species [D. (C.) dichelyneformis (Szidat, 1950), D. (C.) fraseri (Baylis, 1929), D. (C.) abbreviatus (Rudolphi, 1819), D. (C.) adriaticus (Törnquist, 1931), D. (C.) minutus (Rudolphi, 1819) and D. (C.) mariajuliae Alarcos, Timi, Etchegoin et Sardella, 2006)], which are readily distinguished by their body size, spicules length, distribution patterns of other papillae and position of the excretory pore and deirids. Also, D. (C.) elongatus from Umbrina canariensis (Valenciennes) from West Africa is established as a new species Dichelyne (Cucullanellus) yvonnecampanae sp. nov.; D. (C.) amaruincai from Pacific waters is considered as a valid species, D. (D.) micropogonii is regarded as species inquirendae and D. (C.) rodriguesi is identified as Cucullanus sp.     

Gonad-infecting species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from groupers Epinephelus spp. (Osteichthyes: Serranidae) in the Bay of Bengal,India

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, two new and one specifically not identified gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae) are described from the ovary of marine fishes of the genus Epinephelus Bloch (Serranidae, Perciformes) in the Bay of Bengal, off the eastern coast of India: P. indica sp. nov. (male and females) from the honeycomb grouper E. merra Bloch, P. tropica sp. nov. (males and females) from the duskytail grouper E. bleekeri (Vaillant) and Philometra sp. (only females) from the cloudy grouper E. erythrurus (Valenciennes). Philometra indica is mainly characterized by the length of spicules 192–195 μm and the gubernaculum 84 μm, the distal tip of the gubernaculum without a dorsal protuberance, and by the presence of five pairs of caudal papillae. Philometra tropica is mainly characterized by the spicules conspicuously ventrally distended at their posterior halves, the distal tip of the gubernaculum with a dorsal protuberance, and the presence of three pairs of caudal papillae.     

New philometrids (Nematoda,Philometridae) from head tissues of two serranid fishes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinephelus morio</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycteroperca microlepis</Emphasis>) off Florida,northern Gulf of Mexico

A new species of nematode, Philometra morii sp. nov. (Philometridae), is described from males and gravid females collected from the mouth cavity of the red grouper, Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes) (Serranidae, Perciformes), from the northen Gulf of Mexico, off Florida, USA. The new species is characterized mainly by the length of spicules (84–90 and 72–87 μm) and the length (54 μm) and structure of the gubernaculum in the male, and by the presence of three large oesophageal teeth protruding from the mouth, the number and arrangement of small cephalic papillae (8 papillae in 4 pairs of external circle and 6 single papillae of internal circle), the length (1.09–1.50 mm) and structure of the oesophagus and two large papilla-like caudal projections, and by the length of their bodies (19.34–30.07 mm). Philometra morii is the third species of this genus reported from E. morio in the Gulf of Mexico, differing from the two previously described species, in addition to morphological features, by the site of infection in this host (mouth cavity and sinuses vs oculo-orbits or gonads). From the same region (northern Gulf of Mexico, off Florida), gravid females of Philometra Costa, 1845, morphologically and biometrically similar to those of P. morii, were found in the subcutaneous tissues and sinuses of the head of another serranid fish (gag), Mycteroperca microlepis (Good et Bean). Although their conspecificity with P. morii cannot be excluded, they have been designated as Philometra sp. until conspecific males are discovered and described. Based on light and scanning electron microscopy examination (latter used only for females), both these forms are described.     

Morphometric and molecular characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeonema synodontisi</Emphasis> n. comb. (Nematoda: Atractidae) from the West African fishes

Numerous nematodes were found in the rectum of three fish species Synodontis ocellifer, S. nigrita, and S. schall (Mochokidae, Siluriformes) from the Gambia River and Mare Simenti, National Park Niokolo Koba, Senegal. A nematode species Raillietnema synodontisi Vassiliadès, 1973 (host S. ocellifer), is redescribed using morphometric (including scanning electron microscopy) and molecular characteristics and transferred into the genus Labeonema Puylaert, 1970. It is morphologically and metrically similar to Labeonema intermedium Puylaert, 1970, the other congeneric species (L. bainae Baker, 1982; L. bakeri Van Waerebeke, Chabaud, Bain et Georges, 1988; and L. africanum Moravec et Van As, 2004) differ from them either by the spicule and gubernaculum lengths, distribution and number of pre-cloacal papillae, position of the vulva, as well as hosts and geographical distribution. The partial sequences of small ribosomal subunit rDNA of L. synodontisi were analyzed and compared with other nematode sequences. Molecular analyses seem to support the position of this nematode species based on the morphological observation.     

Some trichinelloid nematodes from marine fishes off New Caledonia,including description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudocapillaria novaecaledoniensis</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Capillariidae)

Examinations of materials of trichinelloid nematodes recently collected from the digestive tract of marine fishes off New Caledonia, South Pacific, revealed the presence of several species of the families Capillariidae and Trichosomoididae, including capillariids Pseudocapillaria novaecaledoniensis sp. nov. from the deep-sea Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus (Valenciennes) (Lutjanidae) and Pseudocapillaria echenei (Parukhin, 1967) from Echeneis naucrates Linnaeus (Echeneidae), and the trichosomoidid Huffmanela sp. (female) from Bodianus perditio (Quoy et Gaimard) (Labridae). P. novaecaledoniensis is characterized mainly by the structure and length (318–321 µm) of spicule and the presence of a dorsal cuticular membrane interconnecting both ventrolateral caudal lobes in the male (subgenus Ichthyocapillaria Moravec, 1982). The previously poorly known P. echenei is redescribed and recorded for the first time from the South Pacific Ocean. In addition, five morphologically different types of capillariid females without generic identification, designated as Capillariidae gen. spp. 1–5, each of them probably representing a new species, were recorded from Fistularia commersonii Rüppell (Fistulariidae), Synodus dermatogenys Fowler (Synodontidae), Carangoides oblongus (Cuvier) (Carangidae), Diagramma pictum (Thunberg) (Haemulidae) and Stegostoma fasciatum (Hermann) (Stegostomidae), respectively. Capillaria decapteri is transferred to Pseudocapillaria Mendonça, 1963 as P. decapteri (Luo, 2001) comb. nov.     

Philometra spicarae sp. n. (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the abdominal cavity of the marine fish (picarel) Spicara smaris (Centracanthidae) off Sicily, Italy

A new nematode species, Philometra spicarae sp. n. (Philometridae), is described from a gravid female found in the abdominal cavity of spicarel, Spicara smaris (Linnaeus) (Centracanthidae, Perciformes), from the Ionian Sea off Sicily, Italy. The new species differs from most other Philometra spp. parasitic in the abdominal cavity of marine fishes by the oesophagus without an anterior inflation, resembling thus only Philometra cheilopogoni Mordvinova, 1986 and Philometra justinei Moravec, Ternengo and Levron, 2006; these two species can be differentiated from P. spicarae by the relative length of the oesophagus to body length (0.6-0.8% vs. 6%) and some other features. From the gonad-infecting species Philometra filiformis (Stossich, 1896), a parasite of Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus), P. spicarae differs mainly in having a conspicuously long (1.4 mm) intestinal ligament. It is the first nominal philometrid species described from the fish of the family Centracanthidae.     

Philometroides acanthopagri sp. nov., a new philometrid (Nematoda, Philometridae) from the musculature of Acanthopagrus latus (Sparidae) from marine waters of Iraq

A new nematode species, Philometroides acanthopagri sp. nov. (Philometridae), is described from gravid and subgravid specimens found in the musculature near pectoral fins and in nasal cavity of the yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn) (Sparidae, Perciformes) from marine waters off the coast of southern Iraq. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examination, the new species differs from its congeners in a combination of morphological and biometrical features. It is the first species of Philometroides reported from a sparid fish and the first representative of this genus recorded from fishes in the Arabian Gulf. A key to Philometroides species parasitizing marine and brackish-water fishes is provided.     

Description ofCosmocerca longispicula sp. nov. (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae), a parasite of a dendrobatid frog from Martinique,French Antilles

Cosmocerca longispicula sp. nov. (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae), a new cosmocercid nematode discovered in the intestine of a new dendrobatid frog from Martinique, French Antilles, is described and illustrated. It is unique in possessing unusually long, well-sclerotized spicules (length, 0.294–0.300 mm; length ratio of gubernaculum and spicules, 1: 2.1–2.2), a feature that necessitates emendation of the definition for the genusCosmocerca. C. longispicula is the first known species ofCosmocerca from the Caribbean region. A new name,C. paraguayensis nom. nov., is proposed forC. uruguayensis Moravec and Baru?, 1990, a homonym toC. uruguayensis Lent and Freitas, 1948.     

Hysterothylacium gibsoni sp. nov. and H. tetrapteri (Bruce et Cannon, 1989) (Nematoda: Ascaridida) from the Chinese marine fishes

A new species of ascaridoid nematode, Hysterothylacium gibsoni sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from the intestine of the slender lizardfish Saurida elongata (Temminck et Schlegel) (Aulopiformes: Synodontidae) in the Yellow Sea, China. The new species differs from its congeners by its small body size (12.8–13.2 mm), the absence of cervical alae, a very short intestinal caecum (representing 8.86–9.52% of oesophageal length) and a long ventricular appendix (intestinal caecum to ventricular appendix ratio 1:15.3–20.0), short spicules (0.38–0.41 mm, representing 2.97–3.11% of body length), the number and arrangement of the caudal papillae (25–28 pairs arranged as follows: 18–22 pairs precloacal, 3 pairs paracloacal, and 3–4 pairs postcloacal). In addition, Hysterothylacium tetrapteri (Bruce et Cannon, 1989) is also redescribed based on the material collected from the striped marlin Kajikia audax (Philippi) (Perciformes: Istiophoridae) in the South China Sea.     

Cucullanus egyptae sp. nov. (Nematoda,Cucullanidae) infecting the European eel Anguilla anguilla in Egypt. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies

A total of 80 specimens of the European eel Anguilla anguilla were collected during the period from February 2013 to March 2014 at the coast of the Gulf of Suez (Red Sea, Egypt). A new species of parasitic nematodes was recovered and described as Cucullanus egyptae. It was found in the eel’s intestine with a prevalence of 68.7 %. The morphology of the recovered parasite was studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The adult worms had a wide cephalic extremity with a slit-like oral aperture being surrounded by a cuticular ring and delimited internally by a row of small teeth in addition to four sub-median cephalic papillae and one pair of lateral amphids. Body measurements showed that the male worms were smaller than females measuring 7.5–8.9 mm (8.3?±?0.2) in length and 1.6–1.9 mm (1.8?±?0.1) in width. Females measured 12.9–13.5 mm (13.1?±?0.2) in length and 2.9–3.2 mm (3.1?±?0.1) in width. The posterior end of the males is provided with ten pairs of caudal papillae and two long spicules which are slightly sclerotized, equal in size measuring 0.59–0.65 mm (0.62?±?0.01) in length. Comparing the present worms with other species of the genus Cucullanus, several similarities were observed. However, peculiar new characteristics such as the precloacal sucker (especially the spicula length), the arrangement and the distribution of the post-cloacal papillae, and the position of the excretory pore make it reasonable to describe a new species. The sequence data of the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) obtained from the present nematode supported its taxonomic position within the genus Cucullanus. The new species is closely related to the first clade of Spirurina and even more closely related to Cucullanus dodsworthi as a sister taxon with a high percentage of identity. The sequence of the recorded SSU rDNA of this parasite is deposited in the GenBank with the accession no. KF681520. It is proposed to name the new species C. egyptae as the first representative of Cucullanidae in Egypt with a new host record.     

Two cystidicolids (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae) from marine fishes off New Caledonia

Two nematode species of the family Cystidicolidae were collected from the digestive tract of marine fishes off New Caledonia, South Pacific: Ascarophis adioryx Machida, 1981 from the stomach of the speckled squirrelfish Sargocentron spiniferum and the sabre squirrelfish Neoniphon sammara (new host record) (both Holocentridae, Beryciformes), and a Spinitectus sp. female, morphologically similar to S. beaveri Overstreet, 1970, from the roundjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta (Albulidae, Albuliformes). Based on light and scanning electron microscopy examinations, A. adioryx is redescribed and a new subgenus Dentiascarophis subgen. nov., characterized by the presence of one dorsal and one ventral median protrusions in the mouth, is established to accommodate it; a key to subgenera of Ascarophis is provided. Ascarophis holocentri Parukhin, 1984 is considered a junior synonym of A. adioryx. The cephalic structure of Spinitectus sp. and S. beaveri is very different from those in other congeners and, therefore, a new subgenus Paraspinitectus subgen. nov., characterized by highly reduced pseudolabia, is erected to accommodate these species. The hemiurid digenean Lecithochirium cirrhiti (Manter et Pritchard, 1960) Yamaguti,1970 was found in the stomach of three species of squirrelfishes. Findings of A. (D.) adioryx, Spinitectus (P.) sp. and L. cirrhiti in New Caledonian waters represent new geographical records of these parasites.