Chelediadema, Miller, Terrence L. & Cribb, Thomas H., 2007

Miller, Terrence L. & Cribb, Thomas H., 2007, Two new cryptogonimid genera Beluesca n. gen. and Chelediadema n. gen. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from tropical Indo-West Pacific Haemulidae (Perciformes), Zootaxa 1543, pp. 45-60 : 52

Chelediadema n. gen.

Type-species: C. marjoriae n. sp.

Diagnosis: Body lanceolate, widest near level of ovary; length/width ratio c. 3.7–6. Tegument with small to minute spines. Oral sucker funnel-shaped, with large oral spines, opens terminally. Ventral sucker unspecialised, embedded in ventrogenital sac. Ratio oral/ventral sucker width c. 1.6–2.2. Forebody occupies c. 1/2 body length. Prepharynx long, much longer than oesophagus. Oesophagus short. Intestinal bifurcation dorsal to or immediately anterior to ventral sucker. Caeca blind, terminate close to posterior end of body. Testes two, entire, tandem, adjacent, in mid-hindbody. Seminal vesical saccular, between ovary and ventral sucker. Common genital pore immediately anterior to ventral sucker. Gonotyl absent. Ovary entire, anterior and adjacent to or ventral to anterior testis. Laurer’s canal present. Seminal receptacle saccular, between ovary and ventral sucker. Vitelline follicles in two lateral groups, extend from ovary to pharynx. Uterine coils restricted to hindbody, extend from posterior end of body to ventral sucker. Excretory vesicle Y-shaped; arms reach to near pharynx. In marine fishes ( Haemulidae ); tropical Indo-West Pacific.

Etymology: The name Chelediadema is derived from the Greek chele, meaning nail or claw and diadema, meaning crown, referring to the crown of large oral spines that are analogous to claws. It is to be treated as neuter.

Differential diagnosis: Chelediadema n. gen. is distinguished from all other cryptogonimid genera by the combination of a lanceolate body, the relatively small number of large oral spines, a prepharynx that is much longer than the oesophagus, caeca that terminate close to the posterior end of the body, tandem testes, uterine loops that are extensive in the hindbody and extend well posterior to the testes, and vitelline follicles that extend from the ovary to the pharynx.