Four species of Mazocraeoides Price, 1936 (Monogenea: Mazocraeidae), including two new species from clupeiform fishes off Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal

Four species of Mazocraeoides Price, 1936 including two new species are recorded from clupeiform fishes collected from Visakhapatnam Coast, Bay of Bengal: M. rotundus n. sp. from Ilisha filigera, M. fusiformes n. sp. from Stolephorus indicus, M. prashadi Chauhan, 1950 from Sardinella longiceps and M. dussumieri Mamaev, 1975 from Dussumieria hasselti. Mazocraeoides rotundus n. sp. is differentiated from the previously described species of Mazocraeoides by possessing the following combination of characters: the small pot-like body, the distribution of clamps in the posterior half of body and the genital complex consisting of five pairs of hooks arranged in two vertical rows. It differs from M. prashadi in the body shape and the much smaller size of the genital complex. Mazocraeoides fusiformes n. sp. differs from all the other species of the genus in the distribution of the clamps embracing only the posterior part of the testis and the genital complex consisting of one pair of needle-like lateral hooks and five pairs of median hooks. Mazocraeoides prashadi is redescribed to fill the gaps existing in the earlier description. Mazocraeoides dussumieri recorded earlier from South China Sea is reported for the first time from the Bay of Bengal. The validity of various species of Mazocraeoides is discussed and a key for the separation of valid species is provided. A host-parasite list is presented which gives details of the hosts, the geographic distribution and the validity status for each species. A partial 28S rDNA sequence was generated for M. dussumieri and deposited in GenBank.

Primer registro del copépodo Cymbasoma chelemense (Copepoda: Monstrilloida) en el mar Caribe colombiano

As part of monitoring in the estuarine inner Bay of Cartagena, Colombia during the year 2016, a female adult specimen ofCymbasoma chelemense was collected and identified. Originally described for the Gulf of Mexico and sharing the followingmorphological and morphometric characteristics: Cephalothorax of at least 68% of the total length of the body. Oral papilla located at least 20% of the total length of the cephalothorax; Ocelli present; genital complex with ovigerous spines located at the base and with one single post genital somites, the ovigerous spines at least 14% longer than the total length of the body and about 10 times the length of urosome. This is the first record of a copepod of the genus Cymbasoma in Colombia estuarine waters, increasing the range of distribution of this species in the Caribbean Sea.

A new species of Pupulina van Beneden, 1892 (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Caligidae) from Aetobatus cf. narinari (Pisces, Myliobatidae) from the Pacific coast of Ecuador

A new caligid copepod species, Pupulinamantensissp. n. is described based on female and male specimens collected from the gills of the myliobatid elasmobranch Aetobatuscf.narinari Euphrasen, 1790 captured off the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The new species has a unique combination of characters that diverges from its known congeners, including: (i) weakly developed posterolateral processes on the genital complex; (ii) large spines on posterior surface of maxilliped basis (iii) abdomen slender, unsegmented, approximately 1/2 length and 1/5 width of genital complex; (iv) third exopodal segment of leg II with single long naked spine adjacent to minute, naked lateral spine; (v) velum of leg II with adjacent patch of denticles; (vi) caudal rami slightly less than half the length of genital complex; (vii) post-antennal process with robust, posteriorly directed tine, sclerotized stump posterolaterally, and two multi-sensillate papillae located on or near base of process (viii) post-oral process oval. The overall prevalence of P.mantensissp. n. on its host was 37.5% and its mean abundance was 1.87 specimens per host. This is the second record of the genus Pupulina from Ecuador and the second record of Pupulina infecting rays of the Myliobatinae genus Aetobatus, of the subfamily Myliobatinae, after its discovery on A.ocellatus in Australia, thus confirming this expansion of its previously known host range to a new elasmobranch subfamily.

A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

Among the several groups of copepods that are teleost parasites, the siphonostomatoid family Caligidae is by far the most widespread and diverse. With more than 108 nominal species, the caligid genus Lepeophtheirus von Nordmann is one of the most speciose. There are no reports of this genus in Costa Rican waters. A new species of Lepeophtheirus is herein described based on female specimens collected from plankton samples in waters off Bahía Wafer, isla del Coco, an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The new species, L. alvaroi sp. nov., has some affinities with other congeners bearing a relatively short abdomen, a wider than long genital complex and a 3-segmented exopod of leg 4. it differs from most of these species by the presence of an unbranched maxillular process and by the relative lengths of the terminal claws of leg 4, with two equally long elements. it is most closely related to two other Eastern Pacific species: L. dissimulatus Wilson, 1905 and L. clarionensis Shiino, 1959. it differs from these species by the proportions and shape of the genital complex, the shape of the sternal furca, the relative length of the maxillar segments, the absence of a pectiniform process on the distal maxillar segment, the length of leg 4 and the armature of leg 5. The new species represents the first Lepeophtheirus described from Costa Rican waters of the Pacific. The low diversity of this genus in this tropical region is explained by its tendency to prefer hosts from temperate latitudes. Until further evidence is found, the host of this Lepeophtheirus species remains unknown. Citation: Suárez-Morales, E. & R. Gasca. 2012. A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 235-242. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

Association between an ectoparasitic copepod (Caligus sp.) and the monogenean Udonella cf. caligorum Johnston 1835 on a catfish population

We analysed the association between a monogenean (Udonella cf. caligorum Johnston 1835) and its copepod host (Caligus sp.) living on a wild population of Arius herzbergii Bloch, 1794 in a north-eastern coastal lagoon from Venezuela. This study characterized infestation levels and analysed the effects of monogeneans on the fecundity and hatching success of the copepod host, as well as damage to its egg capsules and genital complex. A total of 218 Caligus specimens were analysed (94 males, 110 females and 14 immature stages) in which a total of 1017 monogeneans were found. These included 311 mature stages and 706 egg capsules. Monogenean stages were found attached to the cephalothorax, abdomen, genital complex and egg capsules of the copepods. No significant differences were found in fecundity and egg hatching when infested and non-infested ovigerous females were compared. No damage was observed on egg capsules or genital areas of infested ovigerous females. Our results suggest that this association, at the level of prevalence and intensity observed, is closer to commensalism than parasitism. The importance of considering that the nature of interaction is dynamic and changing with environmental conditions and time scale is highlighted.

New data on cockroaches of the subfamily Epilamprinae (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) from India and Sri Lanka, with descriptions of new species and the genital complex of Aptera fusca (Thunberg, 1784)

New cockroach species from South India (Aptera brindlei sp.nov., Rhabdoblattella alexeevi sp.nov., R. euptera sp.nov., Morphna indica sp.nov.) and Sri Lanka (Placoblatta beybienkoi sp.nov., Morphna srilankensis sp.nov.) are described. The genus Rhabdoblattella Anisyutkin, 2000 is re-diagnosed. A revised key to the genera of Epilamprinae from South India and Sri Lanka and detailed morphological descriptions of new species are provided. The structure of the female genital complex of Aptera fusca (Thunberg, 1784) is described for the first time. Possible biogeographical connections of the cockroach fauna of Indian subcontinent and the phylogenetic significance of the right phallomere are briefly discussed.

The genus Caligus Müller, 1785 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida): two new species from reef associated fishes in New Caledonia, and some nomenclatural problems resolved

Caligus praecinctorius sp. nov. is described on the basis of females taken from the gills of Gymnocranius grandoculisValenciennes, 1830, G. euanus (Günther, 1879) and Epinephelus fasciatus (Forsskål, 1775), all caught in New Caledonia.The new species is characterised by having the posteromedian lobe of the cephalothorax completely covering the fourthpedigerous somite in dorsal view, and by the genital complex being 2.7 times wider than long. A second new species, C.macoloricola sp. nov., is described based on material from the gills of Macolor niger (Forsskål, 1775). It is distinguishedby the combination of a 3-segmented leg 4 with 4 spines on the distal segment, a vestigial post-antennal process, and theconfiguration of the setal elements on the exopod of leg 1. The status of a number of other Caligus species is reviewed. Itis proposed to treat C. angustatus Krøyer, 1863 as a junior subjective synonym of C. gurnardi Krøyer, 1863, C. dactylusHo, Lin & Chang, 2007 as a junior subjective synonym of C. dactylopteni Uma Devi & Shyamasundari, 1981, and C.kirtioides Ho & Lin, 2004 as a junior subjective synonym of C. jawahari Hameed & Adamkutty, 1985. Caligus bifurcatusPearse, 1952 is recognised as a junior subjective synonym of Tuxophorus caligodes Wilson, 1908. Caligus cristatusGould, 1841 is here treated as a species inquirendum in the pandarid genus Dinemoura Latreille, 1829. Caligus elevatusKirtisinghe, 1964 is discovered to be an incorrect subsequent spelling of C. clavatus Kirtisinghe, 1964. Caligus gayiNicolet, 1849 is here treated as a species inquirendum. It is proposed to treat C. oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956, C. validusPearse, 1952 and C. mercatoris Capart, 1941 as junior subjective synonyms of C. robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898 and a listof known hosts of this species is presented. Caligus pterois Kurian, 1949 has priority over Caligus russellii Kurien, 1950,which is here treated as a junior objective synonym, since the two descriptions were based on the same material. We rejectCressey’s (1991) proposal to treat C. tenax Heller, 1865 as a synonym of C. chorinemi Krøyer, 1863 and we retain C. tenaxas a valid species. We propose to treat C. spinosurculus Pearse, 1951 as a junior subjective synonym of C. tenax. Wepropose to treat C. multispinosus Shen, 1957 as a junior subjective synonym of C. stromatei Krøyer, 1863. We note thatCaligus trichiuri Krøyer, 1863 is the oldest available name for the taxon Metacaligus uruguayensis Thomsen, 1949. SoCaligus (Metacaligus) uruguayensis Thomsen, 1949 becomes a junior subjective synonym and the valid name for this taxon is Metacaligus trichiuri (Krøyer, 1863).

A new species of copepod (Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) parasitic on the striped trumpeter, Latris lineata (Forster), from Tasmania

A new species of caligid copepod (Siphonostomatoida), Caligus nuenonnae n. sp., is described based on material collected from the body surface of striped trumpeter [Latris lineata (Forster)] reared at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, Marine Research Laboratories, Australia. Caligus nuenonnae n. sp. is characterised by the following combination of features: 1) female genital complex with a mid-lateral indentation and highly concave posterior margin; 2) 1-segmented abdomen in the female that is about one-third the length of the genital complex; 3) distinctly broader first abdominal somite relative to the second abdominal somite in the male; 4) antenna with a spatulate process on the proximal segment; 5) recurved postantennal process without a basal accessory process; 6) female maxilliped with a proximal ridged protrusion on the corpus; 7) sternal furca with widely separated, apically truncate tines; 8) distal exopodal segment of leg 1 with a lateral flange on each apical spine and an accessory process on apical spines two and three; 9) leg 3 protopod with two adhesion pads on the dorsolateral surface; 10) leg 4 exopod 2-segmented, with I-0; I, III armature; 11) terminal exopodal segment of leg 4 with the outer apical spine being slightly shorter than the middle apical spine; 12) male maxillulary dentiform process with numerous small points embossed on the surface; and 13) male legs 5 and 6 represented by distinct lobate projections.

A new species of Cymbasoma (Copepoda: Monstrilloida) from Florida with a redescription of C. quadridens

Monstrilloid copepods from a series of zooplankton samples collected in the coastal area of Miami, Florida, were examined taxonomically. Several adult females were found to belong to an undescribed species of Cymbasoma within the C. rigidum species complex. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the body proportions, shape of head, cephalic ornamentation pattern, genital double somite with straight lateral margins, and structure of the fifth legs, which have a small, inner lobe arising from the distal 1/5 of segment. This species shows intraspecific variability in some characters (i.e. shape of head, cephalic and genital ornamentation patterns); hitherto, such variation has been reported only in another species of Cymbasoma. Our finding supports the idea of the nominal species C. rigidum comprising a taxonomic complex with several undescribed taxa. The other species recorded in the area was Cymbasoma quadridens Davis, 1947. This was first described from a single male specimen collected in 1947 in Biscayne Bay, Florida, and has not been recorded thereafter. The type specimen now being unusable, this species is redescribed herein based on another topotypic male specimen collected near the type locality. New data are added about the armature of its antennules and swimming legs, cuticular ornamentation, and structure of the genital complex.