Two new species of Cobitis, C. multimaculata sp. nov. and C. microcephala sp. nov. are described and illustrated from the River Nanliu and the River Beiliu, Guangxi Province, China. Cobitis multimaculata can be distinguished from congeners by its unique colour pattern of scattered, small, elongated, oval blotches on the side of the body; well developed mental lobes; and cardioid lamina circularis. It is similar to C. arenae, but can be distinguished from it by possessing a stumpy body (body depth 6.1-6.6 in standard length in males and 5.7-7.3 in females versus 7.9 in standard length in male and 7.3-9.6 in females), shorter caudal peduncle (caudal peduncle depth 1.4-1.7 of its length in males and 1.6-1.8 in females versus 2.5 in male and 2.3-3.1 in females); and 17-22 small, elongate oval blotches along lateral line (versus 20-25 spots). Cobitis microcephala can be distinguished from congeners by possessing small and solitary irregular spots scattered on the side of the body; a slender and finely serrated (16-18 serrae on the inner margin) lamina circularis; and a much smaller jet black spot on upper half of caudal-fin base.
We describe two new species of white-toothed shrews from south-western and central Ethiopia, based on recent collections and an application of morphological and genetic methods, Crocidura similiturba sp. nov. and Crocidura makeda sp. nov. Comparisons are provided with other Crocidura species known to occur in the country. Both new species are currently known only from the Ethiopian Highlands. Furthermore, we provide new geographical records and discuss biogeographical patterns in the country. New molecular data, even if based primarily on mitochondrial cytochrome b, suggests substantial divergence within afrotropical Suncus megalura, suggesting that the East African lineage might be considered separated at the species level – Suncus sorella (Thomas, 1897), stat. nov. Molecular data support a monophyly of the clade, grouping most Crocidura species endemic to Ethiopia (the East African subclade of the Old World clade), but also indicates additional colonisations of Ethiopian Plateau from East and Central Africa in the past. The remarkable number of endemics shows that Ethiopia is an important centre for the Crocidura radiation, as is the case for other groups of non-flying terrestrial vertebrates.
Two new species of Cylicospirura Vevers, 1922 are described from carnivores from southern Africa. Cylicospirura crocutae Junker et Mutafchiev sp. n. from Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben) in Zimbabwe is distinguished from its congeners by combinations of characters, including the presence of four cephalic and four external labial papillae, while internal labial papillae were not distinct, the presence of groups of small accessory teeth between the six large tricuspid teeth, the fifth and the sixth pairs of the caudal papillae being equidistant from the cloaca, and a large ratio of length of the muscular oesophagus to that of the glandular oesophagus. Cylicospirura pardalis Junker et Mutafchiev sp. n. from Panthera pardus (Linnaeus) in the Republic of South Africa is characterized by having tricuspid teeth with large, claw-like, abaxial cusps, four cephalic and six internal labial papillae. Based on the number of caudal papillae and the position of the vulva, the subgenera Gastronodus Singh, 1934 and Skrjabinocercina Matschulsky, 1952 are re-elevated to generic rank. Amended diagnoses are proposed for the genera Cylicospirura, Gastronodus and Skrjabinocercina. Petrowospirura lyncis Matschulsky, 1952 is recognized as valid and, together with P. petrowi Sadykhov, 1957 and P. barusi Arya, 1979, is transferred to Cylicospirura as C. lyncis (Matschulsky, 1952) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n., C. petrowi (Sadykhov, 1957) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n. and C. barusi (Arya, 1979) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n., respectively.
Recent collections of cestode parasites from two species of the myliobatid genus Aetomylaeus Garman from several localities in the Pacific Ocean resulted in the discovery of two new species of Halysioncum Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta et Ivanov, 2013. Halysioncum gibsoni sp. n. from Aetomylaeus maculatus (Gray) in the South China Sea off Borneo differs from all of its congeners in having the following combination of characters: 27 apical hooks (14 type A and 13 type B hooks), 11-12 lateral hooklets, 22-28 spines per column on the cephalic peduncle, testes distributed in a single column and an internal seminal vesicle. Halysioncum arafurense sp. n., recovered from Aetomylaeus cf. nichofii 2 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012b) in the Arafura Sea off the Wessel Islands, Northern Territory, Australia, can be distinguished from its congeners based on the following combination of characters: 23 apical hooks (12 type A and 11 type B hooks), the number of lateral hooklets (9-11), the number of spines per column on the cephalic peduncle (20-24), the number and distribution of the testes (13-15 testes in two irregular columns), and the distribution of vitelline follicles (interrupted dorsally at the level of the ovarian lobes). Both species represent the first verified records of diphyllideans from eagle rays of the genus Aetomylaeus and formally extend the host associations of diphyllideans to include a third genus of Myliobatiformes. The myliobatiforms are indeed an understudied group of available hosts for diphyllideans and represent interesting target hosts if the diversity of diphyllidean tapeworms is to be fully estimated and understood.
To date, only a few species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 have been described from amphibians and reptiles of South Africa, including two species from anuran hosts, three from saurians, one from chelonians, and two from ophidians. Hepatozoon bitis (Fantham, 1925) and Hepatozoon refringens (Sambon et Seligmann, 1907), parasitising Bitis arientans (Merrem) and Pseudoaspis cana (Linnaeus), respectively, were described in the early 1900s and since then there have been no further species of Hepatozoon described from snakes in South Africa. Blood smears, used in peripheral blood haemogregarine stage morphometrics, and whole blood used in molecular characterisation of haemogregarines were collected from the caudal vein of six snakes of three species, namely Philothamnus hoplogaster (Günther), Philothamnus semivariegatus (Smith) and Philothamnus natalensis natalensis (Smith). For comparison, a comprehensive table summarising available information on species of Hepatozoon from African snakes is presented. Haemogregarines found infecting the snakes from the present study were morphologically and molecularly different from any previously described from Africa and are thus here described as Hepatozoon angeladaviesae sp. n. and Hepatozoon cecilhoarei sp. n. Both haemogregarine species were observed to cause considerable dehaemoglobinisation of the host cell, in case of infection with H. angeladaviesae resulting in a characteristic peripheral undulation of the host cell membrane and karyorrhexis. To the authors' knowledge, these are the first haemogregarines parasitising snakes of the genus Philothamnus Smith described using both morphological and molecular characteristics in Africa., Courtney Antonia Cook, Edward Charles Netherlands, Johann van As, Nico Jacobus Smit., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Coprological examination of New Caledonian geckoes of the genus Rhacodactylus Fitzinger, 1843 revealed two new species of coccidia. Isospora leachiani sp. n. from R. leachianus (Cuvier, 1829) has oval, colourless oocysts, measuring 21-26 × 16-18.5 µm. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 11-12.5 × 6.5-8 µm, with distinct Stieda and substieda bodies. Oocysts of Isospora sykorai sp. n. from R. ciliatus (Guichenot, 1866) are elongately oval to cylindrical, 20-23.5 × 11-14 µm; sporocysts of this species are ellipsoidal, 10-11.5 × 7-8 µm, with a slightly pointed end and Stieda and substieda bodies. Infected geckoes did not exhibit any alteration of their health status.
Myliocotyle borneoensis sp. n. and M. multicrista sp. n. (Monocotylidae: Heterocotylinae) are described from the gills of the mottled eagle ray, Aetomylaeus maculatus (Gray), and the banded eagle ray A. nichofii (Bloch et Schneider) (Myliobatidae), respectively, collected from the northern coast of Malaysian Borneo. These are the first monogeneans to be described on elasmobranchs from Borneo. The formerly monotypic Myliocotyle (for M. pteromylaei) was distinguished from other monocotylids by the distribution and morphology of the eight sclerotised dorsal haptoral accessory structures and the morphology of the male copulatory organ. However, we have determined that M. pteromylaei has ten structures on the dorsal surface of the haptor. Myliocotyle borneoensis is distinguished from M. pteromylaei by the morphology of the male copulatory organ and its accessory piece. Myliocotyle multicrista has 12 sclerotised dorsal haptoral accessory structures and a male copulatory organ with two accessory pieces. Additional sclerotised ridges across the ventral surfaces of each loculus (except the posterior-most pair) are also present in M. multicrista. The diagnosis for Myliocotyle is revised given our discovery of additional dorsal haptoral accessory structures in the type species and to accommodate other new characters of the two new species. Anterior secretions of Myliocotyle are discussed.
Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, two new species of parasitic nematodes are described from marine perciform fishes off New Caledonia: Cucullanus epinepheli sp. n. (Cucullanidae) from the intestine of the brownspotted grouper Epinephelus chlorostigma (Valenciennes) (Serranidae) and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sinespinis sp. n. from the intestine of the silver grunt Pomadasys argenteus (Forsskål) (Haemulidae). Cucullanus epinepheli sp. n. differs from its congeners mainly in possessing a unique structure of the anterior, elevated cloacal lip with a large posterior outgrowth covering the cloacal aperture and in the presence of cervical alae and two small preanal papillae on the median dome-shaped precloacal elevation. This is the second known nominal species of this genus parasitising fishes of the family Serranidae and the second representative of Cucullanus Müller, 1777 recorded from fishes in New Caledonian waters. Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sinespinis sp. n. is mainly characterised by 10-12 spiral ridges in the buccal capsule, the presence of wide caudal alae, three pairs of pedunculate preanal papillae, two unequally long spicules (465-525 µm and 218-231 µm) and by the tail tip with a knob-like structure in the male, and the broad, rounded tail with a terminal digit-like protrusion without cuticular spikes in the female. This is the fifth nominal species of the subgenus Spirocamallanus Olsen, 1952 reported from fishes in New Caledonian waters., František Moravec, Jean-Lou Justine., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Two new species of entobdelline (capsalid) monogeneans are described from the skin of Australian dasyatid stingrays, namely Neoentobdella cribbi sp. n., a small parasite from the estuarine stingray, Dasyatis fluviorum Ogilby (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae) and Neoentobdella baggioi sp. n., a relatively large parasite from the porcupine ray, Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch et Schneider) (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae). A striking feature of both of these new parasite species is a pad, possibly located within the genital atrium, armed with rows of closely spaced, rod-shaped microsclerites. Both species also possess a muscular papilla in the genital tract and a club-shaped structure near the common genital opening on the left lateral margin of the body. In N. cribbi, the latter feature is large and located anterior to the genital pad and in N. baggioi, it is small and located in a more posterior position. Similar embellishments in the genital area occur in N. natans Kearn et Whittington, 2005 and in N. parvitesticulata Kearn et Whittington, 2005, while other species (e.g. N. garneri Whittington et Kearn, 2009 and N. taiwanensis Whittington et Kearn, 2009) lack these features and differ also in functional aspects of the male copulatory apparatus and the haptor. Separate generic status for these two groupings is indicated, but must await a comparative and comprehensive review of all Neoentobdella spp.