Pennella platycephalus Gnanamuthu, 1957

Hogans, W. E., 2017, Review of Pennella Oken, 1816 (Copepoda: Pennellidae) with a description of Pennella benzi sp. nov., a parasite of Escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum (Pisces) in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, Zootaxa 4244 (1), pp. 1-38 : 27

Pennella platycephalus Gnanamuthu, 1957

( Fig. 15 )

Synonyms. None.

Type host and locality. Cypselurus sp., Indian Ocean.

Morphology. Size: 37 mm. Papillae: partial coverage, a few spherical only, configured in a single small group. Holdfasts: two only, short. First and second antenna (not described or figured- no information). Plumes: simple, all but one single or double; one set shown with four plumules (original figures).

Remarks. Species inquirendae. Original description from a single specimen found on a flyingfish ( Cypselurus ). Species inquirendae according to Hogans (1988a), based on missing type material and brief description/ figures. Pennella platycephalus is one of several new species of small Pennella described from flyingfish in the Indian Ocean by Gnanamuthu (1957) in a single paper. Pennella platycephalus exhibits a cephalothorax shape ( Figure 15 b) unique amongst Pennella species; the cephalothoracic papillae are few in number and spherical, a feature not found in any other species parasitizing flyingfish. The original specimen was described from a gravid female with eggs strings. There have been no reports of this species since the initial record.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Pennella platycephalus, a. entire parasite; b. cephalothorax, ventral; c. cephalothorax, dorsal; d. posterior end of abdomen with plumes; e. abdomen, ventral (from Gnanamuthu, 1957). Scale bars = a = 5.0 mm; b-d = 1.0 mm; e = 0.5 mm.