Sasala, Bray, Rodney A., Cribb, Thomas H. & Littlewood, Timothy J., 2012

Bray, Rodney A., Cribb, Thomas H. & Littlewood, Timothy J., 2012, Sasala nolani gen. n., sp. n. (Digenea: Aporocotylidae) from the body-cavity of the guineafowl puffer fish Arothron meleagris (Lacepède) (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from off Moorea, French Polynesia, Zootaxa 3334, pp. 29-41 : 30

Genus Sasala gen. n.

Diagnosis. Body lanceolate, thin. Row of comb-like spines along ventral surface close to margins. Oral sucker small, inconspicuous. Oesophagus long, sinuous. Pharynx absent. Intestine X-shaped, in anterior half of body. Testis single, large, reaches anteriorly between posterior caeca almost to intestinal bifurcation, intercaecal, bulk posterior to caeca, wider in post-caecal region, margins irregular, texture reticulate. Vas deferens sinuous. Auxiliary seminal vesicle present. Cirrus-sac elongate oval. Male pore dorsal, sinistrally submedian, in anterior part of posterior half of post-ovarian region. Ovary just post-testicular, multilobate, perforated, with deep indentation at posterior margin. Oviduct arises from posterior margin of ovary, passes posteriorly then recurves anteriorly becoming uterus. Uterus passes anteriorly almost to ovary, then recurves reaching to female pore. Eggs few, weakly tanned. Female pore dorsal, just anterior to male pore. Vitellarium follicular; follicles numerous, anterior extent at anterior part of oesophagus, posterior extent just posterior to ovary. Excretory pore terminal. Small claviform excretory vesicle seen posterior to auxiliary seminal vesicle, remainder of system not seen. Two ganglia lateral to oesophagus, joined by wide ventral commissure. Type-species: Sasala nolani sp. n.

Etymology. The generic is name for our colleague Dr Pierre Sasal of Le Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement de Polynésie Française, Moorea, in recognition of his contributions to parasite ecology and for organising collecting in Moorea.