Cymothoa pulchrum Lanchester, 1902

Martin, Melissa B., Tuah, Alia, Muhamad, Juariah H. & Bruce, Niel L., 2022, A review of the family Cymothoidae (Isopoda: Cymothooidea) infesting marine fishes from Malaysian waters, with new host and geographical records, Zootaxa 5222 (1), pp. 1-36 : 12

Cymothoa pulchrum Lanchester, 1902

( Fig. 7 A–D )

Cymothoa pulchrum Lanchester, 1902: 377 , pl. 35, figs. 8, 8a.— Monod, 1924: 100.— Trilles, 1975: 991, pl. II (16); 1994:148.— Galzin & Trilles, 1979: 257, figs. 1–52.— Avdeev, 1982b: 69.—Williams, Bunkley-Williams & Dyer, 1996: 1, fig. 5.— Kensley, 2001: 233.— Trilles & Bariche, 2006: 228.— Martin, Bruce & Nowak 2016: 6 , 37–43, figs. 22–26.

Cymothoa pulchra .— Saito, Itani & Nunomura, 2000: 65.— Bruce, Lew Ton & Poore, 2002: 176.— Nagasawa & Uyeno, 2012: 139, fig. 1.

Not Cymothoa pulchra .— Yu & Li, 2003a: 228, fig. 5; 2003b: 267 [= Cymothoa epimerica ].

Type material. Type material of Cymothoa pulchrum has not been located ( Martin et al. 2016).

Type locality. Pulau Bidan , northern Straits of Malacca, Malay Peninsula ( Lanchester 1902) .

Type host. Host type unknown ( Martin et al. 2016).

Material examined 1 ovig. ♀ (40 mm TL, 18 mm W; UMT Crus 01104) ( UMT Crus 01104), 1 mature ♁ (13 mm TL, 6 mm W) ( UMT Crus 01105), UMT Beach, Terengganu, 05°24’54” S; 103°05’21” E, 25 February 2020, from buccal cavity of Stellate puffer [ Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798) ], coll. Azwarina and Muhammad Fadhli.

Host. Predominantly Tetraodontidae and Diodontidae . Tetraodontidae : Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798) (see Monod, 1934; Trilles, 1975; Avdeev, 1978b; Galzin & Trilles, 1979; Nagasawa & Uyeno, 2012; present material); Arothron meleagris (Anonymous, 1798) (see Galzin & Trilles, 1979). Diodontidae : Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758 , see Shiino, 1951; Williams et al. 1996; Nagasawa & Uyeno, 2012); Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758 (see Williams et al. 1996; Galzin & Trilles 1979); Diodon liturosus (Shaw, 1804) (see Williams et al. 1996) and Chilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (see Nagasawa & Uyeno, 2012). Cymothoa pulchrum has been reported from the Carangidae ( Caranx sp. , see Monod 1924) but until further evidence is available, this record is considered as uncertain.

Distribution. Central and western Indo-Pacific region: Malaysia ( Lanchester 1902, present material); Singapore ( Martin et al 2016); Indonesia ( Nierstrasz 1915, 1931); Sri Lanka ( Monod 1924); Vietnam ( Monod 1934; Trilles 1975); Japan ( Shiino 1951; Saito et al. 2000; Nagasawa & Uyeno 2012); Australia ( Avdeev 1978b); French Polynesia and Fiji ( Galzin & Trilles 1979).

Remarks. Cymothoa pulchrum has an anteriorly subtruncate cephalon; wide, subtruncate pereonite 1; anterolateral margins nearly reaching rostrum; pleon partially overlapped by pereonite 7; rounded pleotelson posterior margin; raised carinae on pereopods 6 and 7 bases; prominent lobe on ischium pereopod 7; coxae visible from dorsal view; uropods reaching half pleotelson length, visible from ventral view. For further comparisons on gender and comparatively similar species, refer to Martin et al. (2016). Lanchester (1902) reported a female specimen of the species from the northern Straits of Malacca, Malay Peninsula as part of the collection from the Skeat Expedition to the Malay Peninsula. Most of the Skeat Expedition collection reported on by Lanchester (1902) was known to have been deposited at the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge (UMZC). Martin et al. (2016) mentioned that despite locating other Cymothoa specimens deposited in UMZC, the type for Cymothoa pulchrum was not in their catalogue. Although there is no primary type material, designation of a neotype specimen is not necessary as the species has been thoroughly described and readily distinguishable from its Cymothoa species.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cymothoa pulchrum Lanchester, 1902.A, dorsal view; B, ventral view, ovigerous female (40 mm), (UMT Crus 01104); C, dorsal view; D, ventral view, male (13 mm), (UMT Crus 01105). Scale: 5 mm.