Branchobdella pugetensis ( Robinson, 1961 ) Kearn & Whittington & Evans-Gowing, 2007

Kearn, Graham C., Whittington, Ian D. & Evans-Gowing, Richard, 2007, A revision of Entobdella Blainville in Lamarck, 1818, with special emphasis on the nominal (type) species “ Entobdella hippoglossi (Müller, 1776) Blainville, 1818 ” (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Entobdellinae) from teleost flatfishes, with descriptions of three new species and a new genus, Zootaxa 1659, pp. 1-54 : 40

Branchobdella pugetensis ( Robinson, 1961) comb. nov.

( Fig. 26)

[syn. Entobdella pugetensis Robinson, 1961 ; Pseudoentobdella pugetensis ( Robinson, 1961) Yamaguti, 1963 (see comment below)].

Type host and locality: Arrowtooth flounder, Atheresthes stomias ( Jordan & Gilbert, 1880) ( Pleuronectiformes : Pleuronectidae ); Salmon Banks, Puget Sound, Washington, USA (see Robinson 1961).

Other localities from A. stomias: Canadian Pacific waters (precise location not given) (as a personal communication by McDonald 1981, in Beverley-Burton 1984); Nootka Sound, British Columbia for whole mounts loaned to us by HWML (see Table 2), according to slide labels attributed to “ R. Arthur 1980”.

Other hosts and localities: Alaska Pollock, Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas, 1814) ( Gadiformes : Gadidae ) off the coast of British Columbia (see Arthur 1984). Arthur found only 1 specimen which he regarded as having transferred from a pleuronectiform fish during host capture.

Site on host: Gills (see Robinson 1961). Skin of A. stomias (see Beverley-Burton 1984, requires confirmation). Arthur was uncertain about the site of his single specimen from T. chalcogramma , referring to it as “gill cavity?”.

Specimens studied: 3 adult specimens; 3 immature specimens (see Table 2).

Redescription ( Fig. 26): Dimensions of adult specimens: total length 3161 (2895 – 3580) (n = 3); body width 1153 (1053 – 1233) (n = 3); haptor 1103 (1038 – 1128) long and 1095 (1000 – 1143) wide (n = 3); pharynx 236 (220 – 251) long and 236 (205 – 267) wide (n = 2); testis length and breadth 294 (274 – 314) and 201 (196 – 205) respectively (n = 2); accessory sclerite length 173 (130 – 220) (n = 4); anterior hamulus length 304 (259 – 329) (n = 5); posterior hamulus length 108 (95 – 126) (n = 3). Anatomy as described by Robinson (1961) with the following additional observations: tendon from body musculature attaches to proximal end of anterior hamulus. Possesses penis, not cirrus as claimed by Robinson (1961). Penis sac with thickened and probably muscular posterior (proximal) wall. Vagina short, straight, not coiled, about 8 in diameter, with conspicuous opening about 15 wide, lying posterior to excretory pore and ootype. No seminal receptacles opening into ovo-vitelline duct (needs confirmation). Glands of Goto present.

Total length of 3 immature specimens (no vitellarium present) 1755 (1654 – 1835) (n = 3); body width 642 (613 – 675) (n = 3); anterior hamulus length 182 (160 – 200) (n = 6).

Comments. The transfer of E. pugetensis to Pseudoentobdella Yamaguti, 1963 by Yamaguti (1963) was rejected by Kearn & Whittington (2005). However, our reappraisal of this species indicates strongly that it dif- fers significantly from the rest of Entobdella species and deserves separate generic status. This concept was clearly also the opinion of Yamaguti (1963). Parasites collected by Mamaev (1965) from the gills of A. stomias caught in the Bering Sea were identified as Entobdella hippoglossi (see below) but seem more likely to be B. pugetensis . No attempt has been made by us to locate these specimens.