Prochristianella aciculata Beveridge & Justine, 2010

Schaeffner, Bjoern C. & Beveridge, Ian, 2012, Prochristianella Dollfus, 1946 (Trypanorhyncha: Eutetrarhynchidae) from elasmobranchs off Borneo and Australia, including new records and the description of four new species, Zootaxa 3505, pp. 1-25 : 18

Prochristianella aciculata Beveridge & Justine, 2010

Material examined: 1 specimen from Hemigaleus microstoma Bleeker off Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35356; BO-44); 1 specimen from Himantura astra Last, Manjaji-Matsumoto & Pogonoski off the Wessel Islands, Northern Territory, Australia ( SAM AHC 35380; NT-90); 1 specimen from Himantura jenkinsii (Annandale) off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35371; BO-335); 74 specimens from Himantura pastinacoides (Bleeker) off Kampung Tetabuan and Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35357, 35359, 35364, 35368; BO-76, BO-79, BO-98, BO-100, BO-119); 3 specimens from H. pastinacoides 1 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Kampung Tetabuan, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35366; BO-115); 4 specimens from H. pastinacoides 2 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Kampung Tetabuan, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35365; BO-113); 23 specimens from Himantura uarnacoides (Bleeker) off Beluran, Kampung Tetabuan and Sandakan, Sabah, and Singkawang, Sarawak, Malaysia; and off Manggar, East Kalimantan, Indonesia ( SAM AHC 35358, 35360, 35362, 35367, 35374, 35376; BO-77, BO-91, BO-96, BO-118, KA-143, KA-424); 14 specimens from Himantura cf. uarnacoides (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Kampung Tetabuan, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35361; BO-95); 4 specimens from H. uarnak off Nickol Bay, Western Australia ( SAM AHC 35382; collected by B. Robertson, 11.xi.1986), and Weipa, Queensland, Australia ( SAM AHC 35379; CM03-57); 1 specimen from H. uarnak 1 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35373; HBO-109); 6 specimens from H. uarnak 2 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Weipa, Queensland, Australia ( SAM AHC 35377; CM03-25); 1 specimen from H. uarnak 3 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Tarakan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia ( SAM AHC 35375; KA-392); 1 specimen from Himantura toshi Whitley off Nickol Bay, Western Australia, Australia ( SAM AHC 35381; collected by B. Robertson, 11.xi.1986); 4 specimens from Neotrygon kuhlii 1 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Pulau Banggi, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35370; BO-320); 1 specimen from T. lymma 1 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Pulau Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35369; BO-125); 1 specimen from Rhizoprionodon cf. acutus 3 (sensu Naylor et al. 2012) off Sarawak, Malaysia ( SAM AHC 35372; BO-405); 1 specimen from Rhynchobatus sp. off Weipa, Queensland, Australia ( SAM AHC 35378; CM03-28).

Site: Spiral intestine.

Remarks: This species was initially described from Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller & Henle) from coastal waters off Nouméa by Beveridge & Justine (2010). The present study extends the host and geographic range of P. aciculata , which is reported from three localities in Northern Australia, two localities in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and nine localities in Malaysian Borneo. In total, 17 new host species are recorded. This makes P. aciculata a widespread parasite with low host specificity.