Darwinoplectanum, Domingues, Marcus V., Diamanka, Arfang & Pariselle, Antoine, 2011

Domingues, Marcus V., Diamanka, Arfang & Pariselle, Antoine, 2011, Monogenoids (Diplectanidae, Polyonchoinea) from the gills of mojarras (Perciformes, Gerreidae) with the resurrection of Neodiplectanum Mizelle & Blatz, 1941 and the proposal of Darwinoplectanum n. gen., Zootaxa 3010, pp. 1-19 : 8-9

Darwinoplectanum n. gen.

Type species. Darwinoplectanum figueiredoi n. gen. n. sp. from Eucinostomus argenteus Baird & Girard.

Site. Gills.

Type locality. Municipality of Pontal do Paraná, State of Paraná, Brazil (25°35’28.27’’S, 48°21’10.70’’W) in July 2001.

Other species and localities. Darwinoplectanum amphiatlanticus n. gen. n. sp. from Eucinostomus melanopterus (Bleecker) , Bamboung, Sine Saloum, Senegal (13°49’30.5’’N, 16°31’44’’W) collected in May 2006, E. argenteus from Municipality of Porto Belo, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil (27°09’25.12’’S, 48°33’16.75’’W) collected in January 2001, E. argenteus from Municipality of Pontal do Paraná, State of Paraná, Brazil (25°35’28.27’’S, 48°21’10.70’’W) collected in July 2001; and Darwinoplectanum pilittae n. gen. n. sp. from Gerres cireneus from Punta Santiago near Humacao, Puerto Rico collected in February 1992.

Etymology. The genus is named after Sir Charles Robert Darwin, in celebration of his 200th anniversary in 2009.

Diagnosis. Body fusiform, comprising cephalic region, trunk, peduncle, haptor. Tegument scaled or smooth. Cephalic lobes poorly developed; head organs present; cephalic glands unicellular, lateral or posterolateral to pharynx. Eyes present (2 pairs). Mouth subterminal, midventral. Pharynx muscular, glandular. Intestinal caeca 2, nonconfluent posteriorly, lacking diverticula. Genital pore opening midventral, anterior or posterior to copulatory complex. Genital atrium muscular. One testis, postgermarian. Copulatory complex comprising male copulatory organ, accessory piece; male copulatory organ sclerotised, tubular, simple; accessory piece sclerotised, articulated with the male copulatory organ base. Vas deferens, seminal receptacle not observed. Prostatic reservoir not observed. Germarium saccate, looping right intestinal caecum, dorsoventrally. Vagina sinistral, marginal or submarginal; vaginal atrium muscular. Seminal receptacle saccate. Egg ovate with short filament. Accessory adhesive organ, squamodiscs, present (two), ventral, dorsal; rows with rodlet dumbbell-shaped; anterior rows of rodlets with open rings. Haptor with 3 (1 midventral, 2 laterodorsal) haptoral bars; 14 hooks, similar (8 marginal, 2 central, 4 dorsal); 2 pairs of anchors (1 ventral, 1dorsal). Ventral bar with longitudinal groove. Superficial, deep roots of ventral anchor well define. Dorsal anchor with inconspicuous superficial root. Parasites of Gerreidae (Perciformes) .

Remarks. The new genus is defined by possessing: (1) male copulatory organ tubular, simple; (2) accessory piece, articulated with the base of the male copulatory organ; (3) vagina non-sclerotised, sinistral, marginal or submarginal; and (4) egg ovate with short filament.