Cardicola lafii, Nolan & Cribb, 2006

Nolan, Matthew J. & Cribb, Thomas H., 2006, Cardicola Short, 1953 and Braya n. gen. Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from five families of tropical Indo-Pacific fishes (, Zootaxa 1265 (1), pp. 1-80 : 33-36

Cardicola lafii n. sp.

( Figs 31–34 )

Type host: Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn) , Black Spinefoot ( Perciformes : Siganidae ).

Site in host: Atrium and ventricle (heart).

Type locality: Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (14°40’S 145°27’E), Queensland .

Material examined: ex S. fuscescens, Lizard Island ( QLD), Aug. 2002, Jan. 2003, May 2004, six specimens (nos. QM G 225229–225231 ) (five specimens sequenced for ITS2) .

Prevalence of infection: Three of nine S. fuscescens from Lizard Island infected with eleven specimens .

Collector: M.J. Nolan.

Etymology

Specific name for our good friend Mr Feras Lafi of the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences (UQ).

Description

Based on six whole mounts. With features of genus. Body lanceolate, widest level with metraterm, 989–1002 (996) x 170–202 (189), 4.9–5.9 times longer than wide ( Figure 31 ). Tegumental spine rows 13–21 (16) wide; number of spines per row increasing from anterior and posterior ends toward middle of body, 5–7 anteriorly, 7–8 mid­body, 7–5 posteriorly. Nerve chords conspicuous; nerve commissure 65–99 (86) or 7–10% of body length from anterior end. Oral sucker vestigial, rhomboidal, 19–29 (23) x 16–24 (21), delimited posteriorly by fine membrane and slight body constriction, bearing unknown number of concentric rows of fine spines ( Figure 32 ). Mouth 6–9 (7) from anterior end. Oesophagus sinuous, narrow anteriorly, widening posteriorly, surrounded by gland cells from posterior margin of nerve commissure to anterior extremities of anterior caeca, 482–560 (497) or 48–51% of body length. Intestine X­ or H­shaped; anterior caeca unequal, right anterior caecum 80–116 (102) long, left anterior caecum 112–141 (127) long, length 11–14% of body length; posterior caeca convoluted, unequal, right posterior caecum 486 long, left posterior caecum 400 long, length 40% of body length (posterior caeca not clear in some specimens), 3.1 times longer than anterior pair, posterior extremities expanded. Testis mostly intercaecal, 199–205 (201) or 20–21% of body length x 90–135 (107) or 49–67% of body width, 1.5–2.2 times longer than wide. Vas deferens originating at posterior margin of testis, passes posteriorly medially, curving sinistrally distally, expanding distally to form seminal vesicle. Seminal vesicle elliptical, 100–128 (117) or 10–13% of body length from posterior end, 87–122 (102) x 45–55 (49), 1.8–2.2 times longer than wide ( Figure 33 ). Ejaculatory duct postero­dorsally directed, straight; prostatic cells not seen. Male genital pore sinistral. Ovary extending laterally and posteriorly to intercaecal field, extending dorso­anteriorly to posterior margin of testis, 109–138 (127) or 11–14% of body length x 80–96 (87) or 41–57% of body width; 244–273 (257) or 25–27% of body length from posterior end. Oviduct originating anteriorly to postero­dextral margin of ovary, expanding immediately to form oviducal seminal receptacle, narrowing lateral to seminal vesicle, relatively straight, joins with vitelline reservoir lateral to seminal vesicle. Oviducal seminal receptacle tear­shaped, dorsal to ovary, 32–109 (72) x 26–61 (37), 1.3–2.9 times longer than wide. Vitelline duct seen just posterior to anterior margin of testis, passing postero­medially, ventral to testis, vas deferens, ovary, oviducal seminal receptacle and oviduct. Oötype elliptical, lateral to posterior margin of seminal vesicle, 35–51 (41) x 22–29 (26). Mehlis’ gland extending anteriorly to joining of vitelline and oviducts, extending posteriorly past male genital pore. Uterus convoluted, passing postero­medially from oötype, looping antero­dorsally, then passing antero­dextrally, ventral to seminal vesicle (in part), dorsal to vas deferens, oviduct, vitelline duct and oviducal seminal receptacle, near anterior margin of oviducal seminal receptacle passes sinistrally across midline posterior to posterior margin of ovary, level with termination of left posterior caecum joins with metraterm ( Figure 34 ). Metraterm expanded, obovate, postero­dextrally directed, 64–144 (114) x 38–112 (77). Female genital pore opening medially, lateral to oviducal seminal receptacle, near anterior margin of seminal vesicle, antero­dextral to male pore. Eggs ovoid or triangular, 14–32 (24) x 10–24 (16) (n=16). Vitellarium follicular, filling space from posterior margin of nerve commissure to posterior margin of ovary, anteriorly dorsal to lateral nerve chords, both dorsal and ventral to oesophagus, intestine and testis, posteriorly ventral to ovary. Excretory vesicle obovate; collecting ducts seen extending anteriorly from anterior margin of vesicle. Excretory pore terminal.

Remarks

This species agrees well with the characters of Cardicola and is here placed in that genus. Cardicola lafii n. sp. differs from its congeners in having the combination of a body 4.9–5.9 times longer than wide, an oral sucker, an oesophagus that is sinuous and that extends 48–51% of the body length, posterior caeca that are convoluted (compared to the posterior caeca of C. coeptus n. sp.) and a testis that is mostly intercaecal and rectangular. This species differs further in having an ovary that is mostly intercaecal and transversely oblanceolate, an oviduct that originates dextrally, a convoluted uterus that extends posteriorly from the oötype before looping anteriorly and is entirely posterior to the ovary and posterior caeca, and a female genital pore that opens laterally to the oviducal seminal receptacle.

Cardicola lafii n. sp. appears most similar to C. bartolii n. sp. in that both species have an oesophagus that is about half the body length, anterior and posterior caeca that extend 14% and 40% of the body length (respectively), a mostly intercaecal rectangular testis, an ovary that is anteriorly intercaecal and a male genital pore that opens laterally to the oötype. However, C. lafii n. sp. most notably differs from C. bartolii n. sp.

by possessing a transversely oblanceolate ovary, an oviducal seminal receptacle that extends posteriorly past the posterior margin of the seminal vesicle, a metraterm that is obovate and vitelline follicles that extend anteriorly to the nerve commissure. In contrast, C. bartolii n. sp. has a bilobed ovary, an oviducal seminal receptacle that is entirely anterior to the seminal vesicle, a metraterm that is tubular (and by comparison nondescript) and vitelline follicles that extend anteriorly past the nerve commissure.

Figures

FIGURES 31–34. Cardicola lafii n. sp. from the atrium and ventricle (heart) of Siganus fuscescens off Lizard Island. 31. Adult, whole mount, dorsal view. Posterior caeca unclear in outline, path seen as convoluted due to colouration of intestinal contents. 32. Anterior region, dorsal view, showing vestigial oral sucker delimited by fine membrane. Although spines seen on sucker exact number of concentric rows not clear, spines illustrated to show their presence only. 33. Male terminal genitalia, ventral view. 34. Female terminal genitalia, dorsal view. Vitelline duct and vitelline reservoir omitted from figure as they obscure the path of the uterus as they pass posteriorly. Scale­bars: 31, 250 m; 32–34, 100 m.