Cucullanellus minutus (Rudolphi, 1819) Törnquist, 1931

Arai, Hisao P. & Smith, John W., 2016, Guide to the Parasites of Fishes of Canada Part V: Nematoda, Zootaxa 4185 (1), pp. 1-274 : 170-171

Cucullanellus minutus (Rudolphi, 1819) Törnquist, 1931

Description (after Berland 1970). With characteristics of the genus. Worms broad relative to their length, widest about the mid-body. Cuticle 0.010–0.020 thick, with fine transverse striae. Head rounded, not dilated, with two pairs large cephalic papillae and one pair amphids. Internal circle of six very small papillae. Mouth a dorso-ventral slit, transverse to body axis, with well developed collarette bearing many (70–80) relatively long, narrow teeth on each side. Simple pseudobuccal capsule, laterally compressed. Peribuccal rim lies well within capsule, and from which several cuticular structures extend into surrounding muscle mass. Ventral intestinal caecum may reach as far anteriorly as nerve ring, its apex sometimes double ( Fig. 98 A).

Males: 3.70–4.60 long; maximum width 0.36–0.44. Tail curved ventrally. Oesophagus 0.612–0.695 long.

Nerve ring 0.260–0.280, deirids 0.545–0.680, and excretory pore 0.655–0.860 from anterior end. Anus to conical tail 0.123–0.148. Conspicuous pre-cloacal sucker, with rim. Spicules virtually equal, 0.800–0.895 (left) and 0.730– 0.895 (right) long. Y-shaped gubernaculum about 0.050 long. Eleven pairs caudal papillae with a distribution similar to that of C. cotylophora and C. kanabus ( Fig. 98 B).

Females: 3.42–4.90 long; maximum width 0.52–0.62. Oesophagus 0.657–0.710 long. Nerve ring 0.275–0.297, deirids 0.465–0.763, excretory pore 0.534–0.890 and vulva 2.05–3.10 from anterior end. Pair small lateral papillae about midway between anus and tip of conical tail ( Fig. 98 C). Eggs 0.068–0.081 x 0.044–0.055. Site: intestinal lumen

Host: Tautogolabrus adspersus

Distribution: Atlantic

Record: Sekhar S. [sic] & Threlfall 1970

Figures

FIGURE 98. Cucullanellus minutus Törnquist, 1931. A. anterior end, lateral view; B. male, posterior end, lateral view; C. female, posterior end, lateral view. (Redrawn from Berland 1970)