Volume 55, Issue 2

Haemoproteus osea sp. nov. is described from the blood of Nectarinia osea, sunbird species, endemic to Israel and the Red Sea zone of Arabia. Infection was found only in one out of 44 birds, in Eilat, at the north end of Gulf of Aqaba; level of parasitaemia was 0.07%. Young gametocytes adhere alongside the nucleus. The gametocytes extend alongside the erythrocyte nucleus, filling the entire space to the erythrocyte envelope and only slightly impose over the tip of the erythrocyte nucleus. Mean nuclear displacement ratio is 0.75. H. osea differs from H. sequeirae Tendeiro, 1947 in having the microgametocyte cytoplasm blue staining, similarly to the macrogametocyte, rather than reddish white, and also in causing less evident displacement of the erythrocyte nucleus.

Heterocotyle tokoloshei sp. nov. is described from the gills of a single Short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata, kept in captivity at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. The stingray exhibited laboured gill ventilation and deteriorating health on exhibit and was removed to the quarantine area for parasitological study and treatment. A 12 h bath treatment of praziquantel at 20mg/l, pre-dissolved in ethanol, removed 3084 parasites from the gills of the ray. However, the presence of a large number of eggs 24 h post-treatment indicated that viable egg laying adults remained on the gills and that the treatment was not 100% effective. Praziquantel was subsequently administered orally by intubation to the same ray at 150 mg/kg under anaesthetic (2-phenoxyethanol at 0.15 ml/l for approximately 1 h), which resulted in the removal of approximately 392 000 parasites from the gills 12 h post-oral treatment. Twenty-four h post-oral treatment, 3383 worms, but no eggs were recovered. No worms or eggs were recovered 48 h to 10 days post-oral treatment. The ray died approximately 30 days after the completion of the treatment. Heterocotyle tokoloshei sp. nov. is the first Heterocotyle species described from South Africa and represents the first record of a pathogenic Heterocotyle species. The new species can be distinguished from the other 16 species in the genus by the distal region of the male copulatory organ which has distinct small spines and by the morphology of the male copulatory organ accessory piece. Eggs of H. tokoloshei sp. nov. are laid singly and hatch spontaneously between 5 and 8 days at 18°C.

Dermopristis paradoxus gen. et sp. nov., a microbothriid monogenean parasite from the skin and mouth lining of the largetooth sawfish, Pristis microdon (Elasmobranchii, Pristidae) in Australia, is described. The parasite has 2 juxtaposed testes and differs from other microbothriids in possessing a unique and unusual terminal male reproductive tract comprising a proximal and a distal tube, the latter with a conspicuous opening on the ventral surface and lacking a recognisable male copulatory organ. The smalltooth sawfish, P. pectinata, also has a skin-parasitic microbothriid, Dermophthirioides pristidis Cheung et Nigrelli, 1983, but this parasite species has a prominent copulatory papilla. Dermopristis paradoxus also has parallel ridges with broad tops running in a roughly transverse direction across the ventral surface of the body. The ventral ridges are prominent from the level of the pharynx to the posterior region of the body. The function of the ridges is unknown. Reproductive biology, attachment and feeding in D. paradoxus are discussed. In the absence of unmounted parasite specimens for sectioning, a mounted specimen of D. paradoxus was released from the slide and successfully processed to provide serial, stained, resin sections. This useful technique is recommended to provide anatomical information in situations where only specimens on slides are available for study.

The organisation of the neuromuscular system in cercariae, metacercariae and adult Opisthorchis felineus was studied. The patterns of nerves immunoreactive (IR) to antibodies towards serotonin (5-HT) and FMRFamide are described in relation to the musculature, stained with TRITC-conjugated phalloidin. The general organisation of the musculature in the body wall, suckers, pharynx, intestine and sphincter of the excretory pore remains the same from the larval stages to the adult worms. However, the diameter of the individual muscle fibres increases distinctly in the adult worms. The general pattern of 5-HT IR fibres in cercariae, metacercariae and adult O. felineus remains the same. Despite the large increase in body size, the number of 5-HT IR neurones remains almost the same in the cercariae and metacercariae and only a modest increase in number of neurones was observed in the adult worms. Thus the proportion of 5-HT IR neurones/body mass is greatest in the actively moving cercariae. Anti-FMRFamide stains the nervous system strongly.

Subulura (Murisubulura) tanjinensis sp. nov. was collected from the Siberian chipmunks, Eutamias sibiricus (Laxmann) at Jixian County, Tianjin, China. The new species can be distinguished from all species of subgenus Murisubulura by the structures of labia lobes, by having a telamon and by the numbers of caudal papillae.

Globocephaloides wallabiae Johnston et Mawson, 1939, is resurrected as a valid species and is redescribed. G. wallabiae is distinguished from its closest congener, G. macropodis Yorke et Maplestone, 1926, by the spicules (length and tip) and pattern of the bursal rays. G. wallabiae occurs commonly in Macropus dorsalis (Gray, 1837) in north-eastern Queensland, but is also present in Petrogale mareeba Eldridge et Close, 1992 and P. assimilis Ramsay, 1877. By contrast, G. macropodis is found commonly in M. agilis (Gould, 1842) and P. persephone Maynes, 1982 in the Northern Territory and north-eastern Queensland, and occurs incidentally in other hosts, probably as a result of host-switching ((Aepyprymnus rufescens (Gray, 1837), P. brachyotis (Gould, 1841), P. inornata Gould, 1842, M. dorsalis, M. parryi Bennett, 1835, M. giganteus Shaw, 1790 and Largochestes conspicillatus Gould, 1842)). This morphological study, with additional host and geographical distributional data, provides support for the resurrection of the species.

At present the nematode genus Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916 (Rhabdochonidae) comprises 92 possibly valid species, mostly intestinal parasites of freshwater fishes in all zoogeographical regions. Because of the absence of any phylogenetic studies using molecular methods in this nematode group, an attempt to evaluate affinities among these parasites and their zoogeography on the basis of morphological features and host-parasite relationships has been carried out. Only true definitive hosts should be considered for such evaluation. It appears that, during the evolution of Rhabdochona spp., there occur an increase in the number of anterior prostomal teeth, loss of lateral alae, the right spicule attains a boat-like shape and a dorsal barb develops on its distal tip, and the distal tip of the left spicule attains gradually a more complex structure; the eggs with a smooth surface are considered to be more primitive. Nematodes of this genus most probably originated in the region of present southern Asia at the beginning of Tertiary. Closest to the initial type appear to be members of the subgenus Globochona Moravec, 1972, from which lineages leading to the subgenera Globochonoides Moravec, 1975, Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916 and Sinonema Moravec, 1975 can be derived. The morphology of Rhabdochona spp. indicate a close relationship between the Palaearctic fauna of these nematodes with the Nearctic species, and the Oriental fauna with the Ethiopian fauna. The Neotropical species can be derived from Nearctic members of the subgenus Rhabdochona; the latter probably penetrated, along with leuciscine hosts into North America from Palaearctic Eurasia at the end of Tertiary. The distribution of Palaearctic species of Rhabdochona corresponds to faunistical complexes in the conception of ichthyologists.

In total, 6401 amphipods, including 5707 Cheirimedon femoratus, caught at the Galindez Island (Argentine Islands, Western Antarctica) were examined for the presence of cystacanths and advanced acanthellae of Acanthocephala. Two parasite species, Corynosoma pseudohamanni Zdzitowiecki, 1984 and Metacanthocephalus johnstoni Zdzitowiecki, 1983, were found in the haemocoeloma of C. femoratus. Total prevalence was 1.19%, that of C. pseudohamanni 0.68% and of M. johnstoni 0.51%. Additionally, 8 of 1416 C. femoratus caught in the Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands) were found to be infected with C. pseudohamanni and free of M. johnstoni. The representative of the genus Metacanthocephalus was found in the intermediate host for the first time. C. pseudohamanni was more abundant at the Galindez Island (prevalence 0.68%) than in the Admiralty Bay (prevalence 0.42% in previous investigations and 0.56% in present ones). Amphipods harboured usually one or rarely two acanthocephalans of one species. Both parasites were more abundant in amphipods caught in the polluted water closely to the Vernadsky Station than in the Mick Channel, farther from the station (prevalence 0.77% vs. 0.51% for C. pseudohamanni and 0.64% vs. 0.26% for M. johnstoni).

During a parasitological survey of the reef ichthyofauna in the Caribbean coast of Mexico, parasitic siphonostomatoid copepods were obtained from the white grunt Haemulon plumierii (Lacepède) and the blue striped grunt H. sciurus (Shaw). Caligus haemulonis Krøyer, 1863 has been recorded from both species of Haemulon in the Northwestern Tropical Atlantic, but it is reported herein for the first time from Mexico. The prevalence and intensity of infection of C. haemulonis has not previously been evaluated in the Caribbean grunts; during this survey, prevalence was highest in H. sciurus; values are similar to those found in other haemulids. Lernanthropus chacchi sp. nov. can be distinguished from its closest congener, L. rathbuni Wilson, 1922, by its female having a dorsal plate covering the entire urosome and the lack of lateral notches at the base of the modified third legs, the male has relatively longer third legs, different body proportions and ornamentation of the first and second legs. This is the third species of Lernanthropus known from reef grunts in the Caribbean and the second species of the genus described from Mexican waters. The infection prevalence of the new species on H. sciurus (24%) was higher than that known for L. rathbuni from other haemulids. Taxonomic illustrations of females and males of both species are also provided. Other crustacean ectoparasites included the copepod Hatschekia spp. and praniza larvae of a gnathid isopod.

The cymothoid isopod Elthusa epinepheli sp. nov., a branchial parasite of the blacksaddle grouper Epinephelus howlandi (Serranidae, Epinephelinae) from the coral reef of New Caledonia (Southwestern Pacific), is described and figured.Within the genus, E. epinepheli shows some similarity with E. raynaudii and E. myripristae. The ovigerous female of E. epinepheli can be distinguished from E. raynaudii by a less ovate body; cephalon deeply immersed in pereonite 1; eyes almost concealed by the amphicephalic processes; pereonites 3–7 distinctly decreasing in size (width and length); pleonites 1–5 distinctly increasing in width; and pleotelson larger. E. epinepheli can be distinguished from E. myripristae by the anterior margin of the cephalon being rounded in dorsal view and all pleonites being visible. E. epinepheli is the first species of Elthusa reported from the host genus Epinephelus. Abstract Elthusa epinepheli sp. nov. (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), parasite branchial du mérou Epinephelus howlandi du récif corallien de Nouvelle-Calédonie, est décrit et représenté. A l’intérieur du genre, E. epinepheli est morphologiquement proche des deux espèces E. raynaudii et E. myripristae. Par rapport à E. raynaudii, la femelle ovigère de E. epinepheli est caractérisée par un corps moins ovale, un céphalon profondément inclus dans le péréonite 1, des yeux presque entièrement dissimulés par les processus amphicéphaliques, des péréonites dont la taille (largeur et longueur) diminue nettement du troisième au septième, des pléonites dont la largeur augmente nettement du premier au cinquième et un pléotelson plus grand. Le bord antérieur arrondi de son céphalon et le fait que tous les pléonites soient visibles permet de distinguer E. epinepheli de E. myripristae. E. epinepheli est le premier Elthusa signalé sur des poissons du genre Epinephelus.

We surveyed the prevalence of quill mites in wild passerines captured in Wielkopolski National Park, Poland. A total of 438 birds of 12 species were mist-netted during three consecutive spring seasons from 2006–2008. Eight bird species were infested with syringophilid mites: Erithacus rubecula (L.) (index of prevalence, IP = 16.2%), Turdrus merula L. (IP = 22.4%), T. philomelos Brehm (IP = 10.5%), Fringilla coelebs L. (IP = 36.2%), Coccothraustes coccothraustes (L.) (IP = 7.4%), Sturnus vulgaris L. (IP = 53.6%), Sylvia atricapilla (L.) (IP = 6.1%) and Troglodytes troglodytes (L.) (IP = 7.1%). In four cases, multiple infestation was observed, where one bird species was parasitized by 2–3 species of quill mites occupying separate niches in the plumage of the host.

This study describes the assemblage of ectoparasitic bat flies, their hosts, and parasitism rates in an Atlantic Forest area in southern Brazil. Bats were captured monthly for one year at two sites. We captured 95 bats belonging to nine species, but only Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus fimbriatus, Sturnira lilium (Phyllostomidae) and Myotis nigricans (Vespertilionidae) were found to be parasitized. The bat flies collected were: Streblidae — Paratrichobius longicrus (on A. lituratus) and Megistopoda aranea (on A. lituratus and A. fimbriatus), Megistopoda proxima (on S. lilium); Nycteribiidae — Basilia andersoni (on M. nigricans). Artibeus fimbriatus and S. lilium showed the highest values of parasite prevalence (60 and 35.7%, respectively) and mean intensities (1.9 and 2.1, respectively). Only two parasitized individuals of A. lituratus were found, resulting in the lowest local rate of parasite prevalence (2.6%) and mean intensity (1.0). This low rate may result from the use of ephemeral roosts in the area. The high values of frequency and number of flies per host on A. fimbriatus and S. lilium in relation to other studies could be explained by the low richness of bat flies here, and in turn, by low competition among fly species per host.