Metamicrocotyla macracantha (Alexander, 1954) Koratha, 1955

Type host.

Mugil cephalus Linnaeus ( Mugilidae).

Other host and localities.

Mugil cephalus from off Mexico (as Microcotyle macracantha) (Alexander 1954), the Gulf of California and Port Aransas, Texas from the same host (as Metamicrocotyla macracantha) (Koratha 1955), and Mugil liza from Brazil (as Metamicrocotyla macracantha) (Kohn et al. 1994). There are several reports of Metamicrocotyla macracantha from the USA on M. cephalus (Hargis 1956, Skinner 1975, 1978, Rawson 1976, Minchew 1977, Collins 1985), as well as from Australia (Young 1970), Mexico ( Bravo–Hollis 1966, 1982, Juárez-Arroyo and Salgado-Maldonado 1989), Peru (Tantalean 1974), Puerto Rico (Garcia and Williams 1985), Chile (Oliva and Muñoz 1985, Bargiela 1987), and Venezuela (Conroy et al. 1985, 1986) from Mugil curema Valenciennes (all Mugilidae).

Current host.

Crenimugil crenilabris ( Forsskål) ( Mugilidae) (New host).

Site infection.

Gills.

Specimens deposited.

CHCM No. 552 (paratypes) (1 slide, 1 specimen).

Prevalence and mean intensity.

4,8 and 3 ± 1 (n=42).

Remarks: Metamicrocotyla macracantha is characterized by having a haptor separated from the body proper by a peduncle and with 26-67 clamps disposed in 2 symmetrical lateral rows. The shape of haptor varies depending on state of contraction and number of clamps. Clamps of microcotylid type, similar in shape, somewhat variable in size; middle clamps are the largest, and those from anterior and posterior ends are the smallest. Testes rounded, normally 16 to 25 in a zigzag line occupying inter-caecal space. The presence of M. macracantha from the gills of Crenimugil crenilabris off Palmyra Atoll represents both a new host and a new geographical record.