Pseudopecoeloides hafeezullahi, Aken'Ova & Cribb & Bray, 2009

Aken'Ova, Thelma, Cribb, Thomas & Bray, Rodney, 2009, Seven species of Pseudopecoeloides Yamaguti, 1940 (Digenea, Opecoelidae) from temperate marine fishes of Australia, including five new species, ZooKeys 5 (5), pp. 1-32 : 25-27

Pseudopecoeloides hafeezullahi Aken’Ova, Cribb & Bray, sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:082BE7F1-0E25-4406-B637-2173BBCB0BB8

Type-host: Trachurus novaezealandiae (Richardson) ( Carangidae : Perciformes ), yellowtail horse mackerel.

Type-locality: Off Coogee Beach Jetty, Western Australia, 32°07′ S, 115°46′E, November 1994.

Other locality: Off Cockburn Breakwall (Shipyards), Fremantle, Western Australia, 32°11′S, 115°47′E, December 1994.

Site: Intestine.

Material studied: 7 off Coogee Beach Jetty; 5 off Cockburn Breakwall.

Type-material: Holotype: Queensland Museum, Reg. No. QM G 230495, paratypes: Queensland Museum , Reg. Nos QM G 230496 - 230515, BMNH Reg. Nos 2008.12.9.31-43.

Description (Figures 19-22): Description based on 11 gravid, unflattened, laterally and dorso-ventrally mounted specimens and 1 immature specimen. Measurements are of 10 gravid, unflattened, laterally mounted worms.

Body elongate, subcylindrical, rounded at anterior and posterior ends, 2,452 - 3,564 (3,026) × 226-321 (274); width almost uniform; maximum width in area of uterus and gonads; width to length ratio 1:8.9-12.6 (11.1). Oral sucker spherical to subspherical, ventrally subterminal, 128-163 (147) × 110-169 (141). Ventral sucker pedunculate, close to anterior end, slightly smaller than oral sucker, subspherical, 85-111 (96) × 96-110 (105); sucker width ratio 1:0.6-0.9 (0.7). Ventral sucker peduncle long, broad, 289-382 (330) × 129-161 (140), length 10.1-11.8 (10.9) % of body length. Forebody short, containing gland cells, 299-465 (384) long, 11.0-15.3 (12.9) % of body length; peduncle to forebody length ratio 1:1.0-1.3 (1.2). Prepharynx distinct, short. Pharynx large, spherical to subspherical, 85-115 (99) × 99- 122 (111); pharynx to oral sucker width ratio 1:1.1-1.4 (1.3). Oesophagus distinct, short, well developed. Intestinal bifurcation usually dorsal to ventral sucker peduncle, 15-40 (27) posterior to anterior margin of ventral sucker, occasionally level with anterior margin of ventral sucker peduncle (n=1). Caeca long, narrow, thick-walled,

open into excretory vesicle close to posterior extremity to form uroproct. Excretory pore terminal. Excretory vesicle I-shaped, overlaps ovary dorsally to point just anterior to its posterior margin.

Testes 2, entire, subspherical, separate, tandem, in posterior half of body; anterior 183-284 (226) × 122-205 (162); posterior 197-295 (235) × 130-202 (160). Posttesticular area 797-1,159 (971) long, 28.0-34.2 (32.1) % of body length. Cirrus-sac absent. Seminal vesicle long, tubular, narrow and sinuous anteriorly, large and saccular posteriorly, extends from about level of posterior margin of pharynx to point variously posterior to ventral sucker peduncle; saccular posterior portion 107-213 (158) × 51-68 (59). Pars prostatica distinct, well developed, surrounded by gland cells. Ejaculatory duct short. Genital atrium large, tubular. Genital pore extracaecal, close to anterior extremity, antero-sinistral to intestinal bifurcation, may be level with, slightly anterior to or slightly posterior to anterior margin of pharynx, 142-181 (166) from anterior end, 4.6-6.7 (5.5) % of body length.

Ovary pre-testicular, entire, subspherical, 85-134 (104) × 76-123 (94). Mehlis’ gland distinct, antero-dorsal to ovary. Uterine seminal receptacle present. Laurer’s canal present, opens antero-sinistrally to ovary, dorsal to left caecum. Uterine coils extend between anterior margin of ovary and abour level of posterior margin of seminal vesicle, overlapping caeca slightly, follows course of seminal vesicle, unites with ejaculatory duct close to its anterior extremity and leads to genital pore as single duct. Metraterm indistinct. Eggs oval, operculate, 40-60 (52) × 20-37 (26). Vitelline follicles restricted to hindbody, extend from 624-962 (788) from anterior extremity, 22.7-30.8 (26.1) % of body length, to 45-88 (60) from posterior extremity; fields confluent dorsally and ventrally in post-testicular and inter-testicular regions, more or less confluent between anterior margin of anterior testis and anterior limit dorsally, separate ventrally, with follicles lateral, dorsal and ventral to caeca, with few folliclefree patches especially in regions of gonads and uterus; anterior limit usually at various points posterior to seminal vesicle, occasionally level with (n=2) or just anterior to posterior margin of seminal vesicle (n=2).

Etymology: This species is named for M. Hafeezullah in recognition of his contribution to the taxonomy of opecoelids.

Comments: Pseudopecoeloides hafeezullahi sp. n. fits the concept of Group A. It can be distinguished immediately from other species in the group by having the largest pharynx relative to the oral sucker, but it can further be differentiated as follows ( Table 1 ). P. tenuis and P. hickmani sp. n. are more elongate species with shorter forebodies and longer post-testicular areas relative to the length of the body; additionally, P. hickmani sp. n. has a longer forebody relative to the body length. P. capucini and P. wekeula are less elongate with slightly shorter forebodies, P. psettodi has a shorter forebody and post-testicular area relative to the body length and P. wekeula has a cirrus-sac whereas P. hafeezullahi sp. n. does not. The new species is quite similar to P. opelu and P. arripi n. sp, but it can be distinguished by the longer post-testicular area compared with P. opelu , the slightly longer forebody than P. arripi sp. n. and by the longer ventral sucker peduncle, all relative to the body length ( Tables 1 , 4).

Figures

Figs 1-3. Pseudopecoeloides tenuis Yamaguti, 1940 ex Priacanthus macracanthus. 1. Whole-mount lateroventral view. 2. Terminal genitalia. 3. Ventral view of posterior end showing uroproct. Scale bars: 1, 500 µm; 2, 200 µm; 3, 100 µm.

Figs 4-6. Pseudopecoeloides hickmani sp. n. ex Pseudocaranx wrighti. 4. Whole-mount latero-ventral view. 5. Terminal genitalia. 6. Ventral view of posterior end showing uroproct. Scale bars: 4, 1mm; 5, 200 µm; 6, 100 µm.

Figs 7-9. Pseudopecoeloides lesteri sp. n. ex Pseudocaranx dentex. 7. Whole-mount latero-ventral view. 8. Terminal genitalia. 9, Ventral view of posterior end showing uroproct. Abbreviations: ms, muscular structure; pc, prostatic cells; gc, gland cells. Scale bars: 7, 250 µm; 8, 9, 100 µm.