Haliotrematoides tainophallus Kritsky & Justine

Kritsky, Delane C., Tingbao, Yang & Yuan, Sun, 2009, Dactylogyrids (Monogenoidea, Polyonchoinea) parasitizing the gills of snappers (Perciformes, Lutjanidae): Proposal of Haliotrematoides n. gen. and descriptions of new and previously described species from marine fishes of the Red Sea, the eastern and Indo-west Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, Zootaxa 1970 (1970), pp. 1-51 : 12-13

Haliotrematoides tainophallus Kritsky & Justine n. sp.

( Figs. 10–16)

Type host and locality: Dory snapper, Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål) (Lutjanidae) : off Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia (23 o 27'S, 151 o 55'E), 18 July 2001.

Other record: Lutjanus fulviflamma (Lutjanidae) : Récif Crouy, Off Nouméa, New Caledonia, 13 May 2008.

Site of infection: Gills.

Specimens studied: Holotype, QM G230688 ; 25 paratypes, QM G230689-696 , USNPC 101323 , BMNH 2008.11.19.9-11; voucher specimen, MNHN JNC 2531 (Th149).

Etymology: The specific name (a noun) is from Greek (tainia = ribbon + phallos = the penis) and refers to the ribbon-like MCO.

Description: Greatest width of body usually in anterior trunk. Cephalic lobes well developed. Posterior eyespots with lenses, one anterior eyespot frequently missing. Pharynx subspherical. Testis subspherical to subovate; germarium pyriform to irregular in shape. Seminal vesicle an inverted U-shaped expansion of vas deferens, lying within left side of trunk; MCO arising from bulbous prostatic reservoir, extending from a level dorsal to the germarium to a point anterodextral to pharynx, comprising an elongate cone-shaped proximal base, irregularly coiled tubular shaft appearing as a twisted ribbon with indistinct keel; coil clockwise. Vaginal pore simple within slight tegumental indentation, opening to expanded variably shaped seminal vestibule extending to body midline; vaginal canal delicate, extending to small seminal receptacle anterior to germarium. Ventral anchor with well-developed superficial root, short to indistinct deep root, shaft with distal inner blade, straight recurved point grooved superficially. Dorsal anchor with short superficial root, inconspicuous to nonexistent deep root, straight shaft having distal inner blade, recurved point straight and superficially grooved. Ventral bar with submedial pocket on each side of extension of anteromedial margin of bar; dorsal bar rod-shaped, with slight posteromedial expansion and subterminal notches. Hook distribution typical, except hook pairs 4, 6 shifted anterior to anchors.

Measurements: Body 385 (352–426; n = 8) long; greatest width 73 (63–81; n = 10). Haptor 77 (70–84; n = 13) long, 59 (53–72; n = 11) wide. Pharynx 22 (20–24; n = 11) wide. MCO 181 (169–199; n = 10) long. Ventral anchor 59 (57–61; n = 10) long; dorsal anchor 55 (53–57; n = 10) long. Ventral bar 33 (32–34; n = 6) long; dorsal bar 35 (32–37; n = 6) long. Hook 13 (12–14; n = 28) long. Germarium 33 (27–36; n = 8) long, 28 (23–34; n = 8) wide; testis 30 (25–34; n = 7) long, 24 (20–26; n = 7) wide.

Remarks: Haliotrematoides tainophallus most closely resembles H. overstreeti based on the comparative morphology of the MCO. Both species possess an elongate MCO having a cone-shaped base from which a coiled shaft with a keel arises (keel less developed in H. tainophallus ). The two species are easily differentiated by H. tainophallus possessing inner blades on the distal shafts of the ventral and dorsal anchors. In addition, the MCO of H. tainophallus extends anteriorly to a level of the posterior eyespots along the right side of the pharynx, whereas the tip of the MCO does not extend past the posterior margin of the pharynx in H. overstreeti .