Charles K. Blend

Endohelminths from the Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, and the American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchus, from Galveston Bay, Texas, U.S.A., and Checklist of Pelican Parasites

Abstract Ten species of endohelminths including 2 cestodes, 3 nematodes, and 5 trematodes were collected from 6 American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchus, and 22 species of endohelminths including 2 acanthocephalans, 3 cestodes, 4 nematodes, and 13 trematodes were collected from 10 brown pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, from the Galveston, Texas, area. A mean of 120 and a range of 4 to 2,134 helminths were present in the American white pelican, and a mean of 57 and a range of 2 to 10,413 helminths were found in the brown pelican. Two cestodes, 3 nematodes, and 3 trematodes were common to both species of pelicans. Parvitaenia ibisae, Tetrabothrius sp., Capillaria sp. represent new host records for the American white pelican, and Echinochasmus cf. donaldsoni, Phagicola macrostoma, and Lyperosomum sp. represent new host records for the brown pelican. Hypotheses for the recent infection of pelicans with species of Bursacetabulus and Bursatintinnabulus along the Gulf coast are discussed.

A new genus and species of cyclocoelid from the black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (Recurvirostridae), from Galveston, Texas.

Two black-necked stilts, Himantopus mexicanus (Recurvirostridae), from the Texas Gulf coast, died while in the care of bird rehabilitators and were found to be infected with Neoallopyge americanensis n. gen., n. sp. Neoallopyge n. gen. (Digenea: Cyclocoelidae) differs from Allopyge in having the testes situated some distance from the posterior extremity, 2 uterine loops on each side extensively invading the space posterior to the testes, no intertesticular uterine loops, and it is a parasite of Recurvirostridae in the western hemisphere rather than Gruidae from the Old World. The new species is unlike Allopyge antigones, Allopyge ominosus, and Allopyge undulatus in having the genital pore located anterior to the cecal bifurcation rather than posterior to it, and it is unlike A. ominosus and A. undulatus, where the uterus is entirely intercecal in having the uterine loops extending laterally, reaching the body wall on both sides. The new species further differs from A. antigones, A. ominosus, and Allopyge skrjabini in having larger eggs (148 [140–155] μm by 55 [45–63] μm compared with 95 by 55 μm, 65–80 by 40–46 μm, 119– 124 by 55–66 μm, respectively), and it differs from Allopyge adolphi and A. undulatus in having narrower eggs (154 by 75 μm, 144 by 86 μm, respectively).

Echinobreviceca coelorhynchae n. gen., n. sp. (Echinobrevicecinae n. subf.), a Fellodistomid from Coelorhynchus coelorhynchus (Macrouridae) from the Gulf of Mexico

During a study of digenean parasites of deep sea fishes from the Gulf of Mexico, 38% (5 of 13) of Coelorhynchus coelorhynchus Risso, 1810, (Macrouridae) were infected with a total of 33 specimens (6.6/infected fish) of an undescribed species of Fellodistomidae representing a new genus and subfamily. Other macrourids collected at the same time (Bathygadus macrops Goode and Bean, 1886, Malacocephalus occidentalis Goode and Bean, 1885, and Nezumia aequalis Günther, 1878) were not infected with Echinobreviceca coelorhynchae n. gen., n. sp. The new species is most similar to members of the subfamily Baccigerinae, but differs in having an I-shaped excretory vesicle, a densely spined tegument, a pretesticular ovary, and a blind seminal receptacle. Echinobrevicecinae n. subf. is separated from other subfamilies in the family by having an I-shaped excretory vesicle. Echinobreviceca n. gen. is established as the type and only genus in the new subfamily, and E. coelorhynchae n. sp. as the only known species in the genus.

Nagmia rodmani n. sp., Nagmia cisloi n. sp., and Probolitrema richiardii (Lopez, 1888) (Gorgoderidae: Anaporrhutinae) from Elasmobranchs in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract The generic diagnosis of Nagmia Nagaty, 1930, is emended to include species having some vitelline follicles extending into the extracecal space. Two new species belonging in the genus are described from the Gulf of California: Nagmia rodmani n. sp. from the body cavity of the giant electric ray, Narcine entemedor Jordan and Starks, 1895, and Nagmia cisloi n. sp. from the body cavity of the smoothtail mobula, Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908). Both species are distinguished from each other and the 13 other known congeners by the number of testicular follicles, ratio of widths of oral sucker to ventral sucker, and position of the vitelline follicles relative to the ceca. Nagmia rodmani is distinct based on the combined features: 12–17 follicles per testis, sucker width ratio of 1:1.7–2.0, vitelline follicles extending into the extracecal space, and the excretory vesicle being I-shaped and lacking perpendicular lateral branches along the main stem. Nagmia cisloi is distinct based on the combined features: 23–26 follicles per testis, body measuring 13.4 mm long by 14.6 mm wide, eggs measuring 47–48 μm long by 43–47 μm wide, and the excretory vesicle is I-shaped and has lateral perpendicular branches along the main stem. Supplemental data are provided for the anaporrhutine species Probolitrema richiardii (López, 1888) collected from a variety of rays in the Gulf of California. Our specimens are indistinguishable from those described as Probolitrema californiense Stunkard, 1935, and Probolitrema mexicana Markell (1956), both of which previously had been synonymized under P. richiardii. Checklists of parasites reported from N. entemedor and M. thurstoni are provided.

Syncoelicotyloides zaniophori n. sp. (Monogenea: Microcotylidae) from the Gills of Coryphaenoides zaniophorus (Macrouridae) from the Gulf of Mexico

Syncoelicotyloides zaniophori n. sp. (Monogenea: Microcotylidae) is described from the gills of the macrourid fish Coryphaenoides zaniophorus caught in the DeSoto Canyon area in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico. This new species is differentiated from Syncoelicotyloides macruri Mamaev and Brashovjan, 1989 by its body size, number of testes, length of copulatory organ spines, morphology of immature portion of germarium, size and morphology of egg, and host.

Buticulotrema stenauchenus n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from Malacocephalus occidentalis and Nezumia aequalis (Macrouridae) from the Gulf of Mexico.

Buticulotrema stenauchenus n. gen., n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Opecoelinae) is described from the macrourid fishes Malacocephalus occidentalis Goode and Bean, 1885, and Nezumia aequalis Günther, 1878, collected in June 1971 from the DeSoto Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 495 m. Eight of 25 (32%) M. occidentalis and 1 of 8 (13%) N. aequalis examined were infected with the new opecoelid. Specimens of Bathygadus macrops Goode and Bean, 1886, and Coelorhynchus coelorhynchus Risso, 1810, collected at the same time were not infected with B. stenauchenus. The new genus most closely resembles Genitocotyle Park, 1937, but differs in that it lacks an accessory sucker behind the genital pore, contains a blind rather than canalicular seminal receptacle, and has a slightly pedunculate acetabulum, a pharynx that is longer than wide, and a distinctive, long-necked, bottle-shaped body. Buticulotrema stenauchenus is also similar to Pseudopecoelus von Wicklen, 1946, but the latter lacks a blind seminal receptacle.

Description of a new species of Podocotyle Dujardin, 1845 (Digenea: Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) from the cusk-eel, Luciobrotula corethromycter Cohen, 1964 (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

Podocotyle bathyhelminthos n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) is described from the cusk-eel, Luciobrotula corethromycter Cohen, 1964 (Ophidiiformes: Ophidiidae), collected at depths of 622–1,280 m in the northern Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea off Colombia. The new species is distinguished by possessing a combination of the following features: an elongate oval body shape, a sucker width ratio of 1:1.4–1.9, deeply lobed and irregularly-shaped testes, a cirrus-sac that extends just in to the hindbody, a trilobed ovary and vitellarium that extend to the ventral sucker level. Several unique features in P. bathyhelminthos n. sp. were not present in all, or almost all, recognized species of Podocotyle including a conspicuous deep cleft at the posterior end of the worm, a small transverse ridge on the ventral surface immediately anterior to the ventral sucker, uterine loops extending ventral to the caeca and, at times, lateral to the caeca, a thick-walled metraterm extending 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the cirrus-sac and P. bathyhelminthos n. sp. parasitizes a deep water piscine host. Podocotyle etheostomae Aliff, 1973 is declared a nomen nudum. A brief discussion of Podocotyle Dujardin, 1845 in deep waters is presented, and a gastropod, caridean shrimp and cusk-eel are hypothesized as hosts in the life cycle of P. bathyhelminthos n. sp. in the deep sea.

A new species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) from the whitecheek monocle bream, Scolopsis vosmeri (Perciformes: Nemipteridae), from the Panjim coast at Goa, with a checklist of parasites previously reported from this fish

Neolebouria capoori n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) is described from the whitecheek monocle bream, Scolopsis vosmeri (Bloch) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from the Panjim coast on the central west coast of India at Goa. The new species differs from both Neolebouria cantherhini (Li, Qiu & Zhang, 1988) as originally described from Thamnaconus modestus (Günther) (syn. Cantherines modestus Günther ) and Neolebouria confusum (Overstreet, 1969) as originally described from Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch) by having the cirrus sac surpassing the ventral sucker posteriorly in N. cantherhini and being entirely preacetabular in N. confusum compared to terminating near the midlevel of the ventral sucker in N. capoori n. sp. The new species is most similar to N. confusum, but it further differs from this species by having the vitelline fields terminating near the level of the esophageal bifurcation compared to terminating near the level of the posterior margin of the pharynx, a larger sucker ratio (1:1.7-1:2.0 compared to 1:1.4-1:1.7), a somewhat shorter cirrus sac relative to body length (160-448, representing 9-18% of the body length compared to about 367, representing 22%), and the egg of the new species has a boss at the anopercular end that is not present in N. confusum. This study represents the first report on an opecoelid from S. vosmeri. A review of the parasites reported from S. vosmeri is included.

Keys to the species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 (Digenea: Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae), with a redescription of Neolebouria truncata (Linton, 1940)

Three keys to the species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976, representing three body types, are provided based on the location of the genital pore relative to the intestinal bifurcation. These are: the lanceolata body type, where the genital pore is clearly prebifurcal; the diacopae body type, where the genital pore is located at or near the level of the intestinal bifurcation; and the maorum body type, where the genital pore is clearly postbifurcal. Fifteen species were assigned to the lanceolata body type; eight species to the diacopae body type; and four species to the maorum body type. Neolebouria truncata (Linton, 1940) is redescribed and N. georgiensis Gibson, 1976 is reinstated as a valid species. Neither N. georgiensis, nor N. antarctica Szidat & Graefe, 1967 (syn. Crassicutis antarcticus Szidat & Graefe, 1967), as described by Zdzitowiecki et al. (1993), represent N. antarctica, as originally described, and N. georgiensis and N. antarctica, as described by Zdzitowiecki et al. (1993), may be conspecific.

Pseudopecoelus mccauleyi n. sp. and Podocotyle sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from the Deep Waters off Oregon and British Columbia with an Updated Key to the Species of Pseudopecoelus von Wicklen, 1946 and Checklist of Parasites from Lycodes cortezianus (Perciformes: Zoarcidae)

Pseudopecoelus mccauleyi n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Opecoelinae) is described from the intestine of the bigfin eelpout, Lycodes cortezianus (Gilbert, 1890) (Perciformes: Zoarcidae), collected at 200–800 m depths in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean off Oregon and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The new species is distinguished by possessing a unique combination of the following diagnostic characters: vitelline fields that extend to the posterior margin of the ventral sucker; a slender, tubular and sinuous seminal vesicle that extends some distance into the hindbody; an unspecialized, protuberant ventral sucker; a genital pore at pharynx level; lobed to deeply multi-lobed testes; a lobed ovary; and an egg size of 68–80 μm × 30–46 μm. A single specimen of Podocotyle Dujardin, 1845 (Digenea: Plagioporinae) is also described from the intestine of an individual Coryphaenoides sp. (Gadiformes: Macrouridae) collected at 2,800 m depth off Oregon. A listing of parasites from the bigfin eelpout as well as observations of parasite diversity within relevant hosts are offered, new host and locality records are noted, and a brief discussion of Pseudopecoelus von Wicklen, 1946 in the deep sea is presented taking note of the low level of host specificity recorded (i.e. spp. of Pseudopecoelus are now known to parasitize deep-water fish from at least 20 piscine families). A new dichotomous key to the 39 recognized species of Pseudopecoelus is introduced.