Four out of twenty (20%) specimens of the lizard Scincus hemprichii Wiegmann, collected in Saudi Arabia were infected with a previously undescribed species of Choleoeimeria. Oocysts of Choleoeimeria jazanensis sp. n. are cylindroidal, 26 × 15 µm, with a smooth bilayered wall and a shape index of 1.7. Oocyst residuum and micropyle are absent. Sporocysts are subspherical, 10 × 7 µm, with a shape index of 1.3. The Stieda body is absent. Sporozoites are banana-shaped, 10 × 3 µm, with one refractile body and enclosed the fine granulated sporocyst residuum. The endogenous development is confined to the gall bladder epithelium, with infected cells being displaced from the epithelium layer towards lumen. Mature meronts are subspherical and estimates to produce 9-12 merozoites. Microgamonts are spherical in shape with diameter of 13 µm. Macrogamonts are subspherical with a prominent nucleus in centre and wall-forming bodies at periphery.
A new nematode species, Comephoronema multipapillatum sp. n. (Cystidicolidae), is described from the anterior intestine and caecum of the squirrelfish Holocentrus adscensionis (Osbeck) (Beryciformes: Holocentridae) collected in Angra dos Reis, State of Rio de Janeiro, offshore Brazil. The new species was placed in Comephoronema Layman, 1933 by having an oval oral aperture, four submedian labia, four bilobed submedian sublabia, two narrow lateral pseudolabia and four single cephalic papillae, but mainly by numerous precloacal papillae in males (more than six pairs), in which it differs from species of the otherwise morphologically similar genus Ascarophis van Beneden, 1871. Comephoronema multipapillatum sp. n. can be easily distinguished from other congeners based on the high number of precloacal papillae in males (18 pairs + one unpaired) and also by the bidentate plate structure on the inner margin of pseudolabia, mature eggs with two long filaments on a single pole, body length of male (9.4-11.5 mm) and female (10.2-19.9 mm), left spicule size (222-278 µm) and length ratio of spicules (1 : 2.2-2.8). This is the fifth nominal species of Comephoronema, the first nematode registered parasitizing H. adscensionis and the first species of the genus in the Neotropical part of the Atlantic Ocean.
A new species of the cyclopoid copepod genus Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 is described based on adult female specimens removed from the gills of the yellow snapper Lutjanus argentiventris (Peters) and the yellowfin snook Centropomus robalito Jordan et Gilbert from a Pacific coastal system of Mexico. The new species Ergasilus davidi sp. n. has a combination of characters that includes a two-segmented first leg endopod, a three-segmented fourth leg endopod, and the presence of a single seta on the first antennular segment. These characters are shared with 14 other congeners known mainly from Brazil and North America. It differs from these other species in the armature and ornamentation of legs 1 and 4, the shape of the body, and the structure and ornamentation of the antennae. Additional characters include a maxillar basis armed with blunt teeth, distally bent maxillular setae, and naked margins of first exopodal segments of legs 2-4. Previous regional records of Ergasilus sp. from both fish species are probably assignable to E. davidi. The prevalence and intensity of infection was estimated for both teleost species and agrees to previous data. Based on other records of the genus from several other teleost species in the surveyed area and adjacent zones of the Eastern Pacific, it is presumed that the new species could have a wider range of hosts. The new species represents the first Ergasilus described from Mexican waters of the Pacific. Overall, the genus remains poorly known in Central America and Mexico.
A new species of Chondracanthidae (Copepoda: Cyclopoida), Heterochondria orientalis sp. n., is described based on specimens of both sexes collected from the gill rakers and the inner side of the operculum of the many-banded sole, Zebrias fasciatus (Basilewsky), from the Yellow Sea, Korea. The new species resembles most closely H. zebriae (Ho, Kim et Kuman, 2000), but can be distinguished from this species and other congeners by the shape of the trunk and length of the antenna, the number of teeth on the mandible and the terminal process of the maxilla, and the structure of the male antennule and maxilliped. Heterochondria orientalis is the first copepod species reported from Z. fasciatus and the first heterochondrid species reported from sole fishes in the Northwest Pacific. A key to distinguish all 10 nominal species of the genus is provided.
The onchocercid filaria Litomosoides taylori sp. n. is described from the sigmodontine cricetid Nectomys palmipes Allen et Chapman in northeast Venezuela. A voucher specimen of the new species was used for molecular analysis of the coxI and 12S rDNA genes, and screened for the presence of the endobacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Litomosoides taylori belongs to the ''sigmodontis group'' of Litomosoides and a combination of characters can be used to distinguish it from the remaining 18 species forming this group. Among the five Nectomys species, all living near running water, N. squamipes also harbours Litomosoides species, L. khonae in Brazil and L. navonae in Argentina. These three Litomosoides species of the ''sigmodontis group'' do not share any particular characters. Gene sequences of L. taylori differ from those of the five Litomosoides species available, the three of the ''carinii group'' being the most distant. The new species harbours W. pipientis, which is concurrent with the great majority of Litomosoides species screened to date.
Mymarothecium boegeri sp. n. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) is described from the gills of Colossoma macropomum Cuvier (Characidae), collected from the aquaria of the ''Centro de Pesquisas em Aquicultura, Departamento Nacional de Obras Contra as Secas (DNOCS)'', Pentecoste City, State of Ceará, Brazil. Mymarothecium viatorum Boeger, Piasecki et Sobecka, 2002 is reported from the type host, Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier) (Characidae) and from a new host, P. mesopotamicus (Holmberg) (Characidae), confirming the occurrence of M. viatorum in the Neotropical Region. The new species differs from the congeneric species in the structure of male copulatory complex; it is more closely related to M. viatorum by the presence of a posteromedial projection on ventral bar.
A new nematode species (Neoascarophis mariae n. sp.) is described based on specimens collected from the Argentine goatfish Mullus argentinae (Hubbs et Marini) from coastal waters off the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the genus, the new species belongs to the group of species with females that have the vulva near the posterior end of the body. Only males of Neoascarophis longispicula Moravec et Klimpel, 2009 are known and can be distinguished from those of the new species by their larger body, developed and somewhat dorsoventrally expanded flat inner part of the pseudolabia, bifurcate deirids and larger spicules (the left one with a rounded tip) with a different length ratio. Other species with females that have the vulva near the equatorial region are N. yarihige Machida, 1976 and N. bathygadi Machida, 1976. Both males and females of N. yarihige are longer than those of the new species and have a shorter vestibule; males have shorter spicules with a different length ratio. Neoascarophis bathygadi is the only member of the genus that shares the presence of a cephalic vesicle with the new species, which, however, is shorter and arises at 40 µm from the anterior end instead from the deirids, as in the new species. Both males and females of N. bathygadi are also longer than those of the new species and have a shorter vestibule; males have a larger left spicule, but shorter right spicule and a different length ratio. Ascarophis upeneichthys Johnston et Mawson, 1945, a parasite of a mullid host, is transferred to Neoascarophis Machida, 1976 and is distinguished from the new species by having a shorter vestibule in females and shorter spicules (left spicule with a pointed tip) with a different length ratio in males.
A new nematode species, Paracapillaroides acanthocotylus sp. n., is described from the marine fish Nemadactylus bergi (Norman) (Latridae, Perciformes) from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38°08'S, 57°32'W) (prevalence 81.8%, mean intensity 12.4 ± 10.3). The new species is readily distinguished from P. agonostomi Moravec, Salgado-Maldonado et Caspeta-Mandujano, 1999, the only known species of the genus, by having in both sexes a longer oesophagus in relation to total body length. Males of the new species have a shorter and more complex spicule and a markedly different morphology of the spicular sheath; the rays supporting the caudal bursa are also shorter and rounded, instead of digitiform. Furthermore, females of the new species have elevated vulval lips and longer eggs. The complex structure of both the spicule and spicular sheath is unique among all capillariids parasitizing cold-blooded vertebrates. This is the first record of a species of Paracapillaroides in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.
This study describes the proteocephalidean tapeworm Pseudocrepidobothrium chanaorum sp. n. (Proteocephalidae: Proteocephalinae), which was found in the intestine of Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum (Eigenmann et Eigenmann) from the Colastiné River, a tributary of the Paraná River. The new species differs from the two other species of the genus, P. eirasi (Rego et de Chambrier, 1995) and P. ludovici Ruedi et de Chambrier, 2012, parasites of Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Bloch et Schneider) from the Amazon River in Brazil, in having fewer proglottides (4-8 without ventral appendages vs 7-12 with ventral appendages and 20-36 without ventral appendages, respectively), a smaller scolex (350-450 µm wide vs 495-990 µm and 515-1 020 µm wide, respectively), in the total number of testes (21-25 vs 21-51 and 37-79, respectively), a cirrus-sac usually directed anteriorly if the vagina is posterior to the cirrus-sac vs transversely situated in the known species. The study of the tegumental surface of Pseudocrepidobothrium spp. revealed the presence of four types of microtriches: papilliform, acicular and capilliform filitriches, and gladiate spinitriches. The three species have a similar microthrix pattern, with minor differences on the immature proglottis surface. Pseudocrepidobothrium chanaorum sp. n. is the ninth proteocephalid reported from P. reticulatum.
Rhabdias blommersiae sp. n. (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) is described from the lungs of Domergue's Madagascar frog, Blommersia domerguei (Guibé) (Amphibia: Mantellidae), in Madagascar. The new species differs from congeners parasitizing amphibians in having a smaller body and buccal capsule, six equal lips, large excretory glands of unequal length and a posteriorly inflated body vesicle. A combination of characters distinguishes it from Afromalagasy species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905. Rhabdias blommersiae is the third species of the genus described from amphibians in Madagascar. Close similarities in the number and shape of circumoral structures in two Rhabdias species described from mantellid hosts in Madagascar suggest a close relationship and common origin of the two species, with subsequent adaptation to separate hosts within the Mantellidae.