Nutritional value of the visceral mass of three giant African land snail species ( and )

Edible snails are very important as food and adequate information is available on their nutritional, medicinal, and economic benefits. Though themore commonly consumed portion is the flesh, some people however consume the visceral mass, hence the need to determine its nutritional benefits. Two structures of the visceral mass (albumen gland and common hermaphrodite duct) of Archachatina marginata, Achatina achatina and Achatina fulica were analyzed to determine their proximate, mineral, and antinutrient compositions.The albumen glands in the three snail species had higher protein (36.81±0.02% -42.69±0.02%) and carbohydrate contents (0.62±0.01% - 0.72±0.02%) than hermaphroditic duct, while the hermaphroditic ducts had the higher moisture content (78.46±0.02 ±0.01% - 80.55±0.01%). A margin at a had the highest total nutrients value and the highest total anti-nutrients value;A. achatina had the lowest total nutrients value and A. fulica had the lowest total ant-nutrients value. This study showed that the edible parts of the visceral mass are nutritious and suitable to be used as food and feed.

New species of Parasaccocoelium (Haploporidae) and new genus Pseudohaplosplanchnus (Haplosplanchnidae) from mullet fish in the Far East of Russia and Vietnam: morphological and molecular data

A description and the molecular characterization of two new species in the Haploporidae and Haplosplanchnidae families are provided herein. Parasaccocoelium armatum n. sp. was collected from the intestine of a Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 from the Primorsky region, Russia, and Pseudohaplosplanchnus catbaensis n. g. n. sp. was collected from Moolgarda seheli (Forsskål, 1775) in the coastal waters of Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. The morphological features of P. armatum n. sp. closely resemble those of Parasaccocoelium polyovum, but these species differ from one another by hermaphroditic sac and vitellaria area length and by maximal egg size. The main difference between P. armatum n. sp. and P. polyovum is the presence of an armed hermaphroditic duct in the new species. Molecular data support the case for inclusion of the studied trematodes in P. armatum n. sp. Worms P. catbaensis n. g. n. sp. from the mullet from Vietnam are morphologically close to Haplosplanchnus (Haplosplosplanchninae). The only difference between P. catbaensis n. g. n. sp. and species of Haplosplanchnus is the presence of few (1–7) large eggs, measuring 135–142 × 92–104 μm, versus numerous small eggs with a maximal size of 75 × 50 μm. Phylogenetic analysis showed that there is a contradiction between the morphological similarity of the worms and their position in the Haplosplanchnidae system, based on the genetic data. Results of this study indicate that P. catbaensis n. g. n. sp. is genetically distant from other representatives of Haplosplanchnus, despite their morphological similarity. According to the molecular data, P. catbaensis n. g. n. sp. is close to Hymenocotta mulli Manter, 1961 (Hymenocottinae). However, these species are considerably different to each other morphologically. Molecular data argue for the possibility of establishing a new subfamily for P. catbaensis n. g. n. sp. However, considering earlier studies of Haplosplanchnidae, we support the view that creating new subfamilies within this family is unreasonable because of the lack of molecular data for most haplosplanchnid species, which are necessary to resolve the problematic systematics and phylogeny of this family.

HISTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF Archachatina marginata ovum (GASTROPODA: ACHATINIDAE) AT DIFFERENT REPRODUCTIVE STATES

The histological and histochemical variation in association with morphological variation in the repro-ductive system of Archachatina marginata ovum was the target of this investigation. Forty- five snails were dissected and categorized into 5 different reproductive stages (low mating, high mating, high egg, gravid and post reproductive). The reproductive tracts which include: hermaphroditic duct, albu-men gland, spermoviduct and spermatheca and the ovotestis were processed for histological and histochemical staining. There were some variations in the architecture of the reproductive organs be-tween the active (high mating, high egg and gravid) and non active stages (low mating and post repro-ductive) states. The active states were generally associated with colloidal or granular secretions. Gly-cogen and alkaline phosphatase activities were associated together throughout the epithelium of the reproductive system of A. marginata ovum and they were more strongly indicated in tissues that are intimately connected to the growth and development of gametes. It was concluded that morphological variation in the secreting glands of the reproductive system of A. marginata ovum is closely associated with changes in the functional secretory activities of the glands.

Rohdella amazonica n. sp. (Aspidogastrea: Aspidogastridae) from the Amazoninan banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Aspidogastreans are commonly found infecting freshwater and marine molluscs, teleosts fishes and freshwater turtles. The subclass comprises four families – Rugogastridae Schell 1973, Stichocotylidae Faust & Tang 1936, Multicalycidae Gibson & Chinabut 1984 and Aspidogastridae Poche 1907 – and it is characterized by the presence of a ventral adhesive disc divided into rows of alveoli. In the current work, using light and scanning electron microscopy and molecular approaches, a new species of Aspidogastridae of the genus Rohdella Gibson & Chinabut, 1984, is described as a parasite of Colomesus psittacus in Brazil. The new taxon is distinguishable by the presence of oesophageal glands, teguments covered by ciliated papillae, and the position and shape of the hermaphroditic duct. The present work describes the third species of the genus Rohdella, thereby adding new morphological and molecular data regarding Aspidogastridae.

Homalometron moraveci n. sp. (Digenea: Apocreadiidae) in the yellowfin goatfish, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831) (Perciformes: Mullidae), from New Caledonia and the Great Barrier Reef, with a checklist of digeneans of Mulloidichthys species

Homalometron moraveci n. sp. is described from the yellowfin goatfish, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis, from the waters off New Caledonia and from the Swain Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. Its unique combination of narrow, elongate body and long hermaphroditic duct reaching well into the hindbody, distinguish this species from all other species of Homalometron. A checklist of species of digeneans reported in species of Mulloidichthys shows that most of the records are of members of the Opecoelidae and this is the first record of an apocreadiid from this host genus.

Rohdella siamensis gen. et sp.nov. (Aspidogastridae: Rohdellinae subfam.nov.) from fresh water fishes in Thailand, with a reorganization of the classification of the subclass Aspidogastrea

SUMMARYRohdella siamensis, a new genus and species of aspidogastrean, is described from freshwater fishes in Thailand. A new subfamily, the Rohdellinae, is erected to accommodate this worm on the grounds that it differs from all known aspidogastreans in that the male and female ducts unite to form an hermaphroditic duct, with the result that the intromittent organ is a sinus-organ and not a cirrus. A new classification of the subclass Aspidogastrea is presented. Two orders are recognized: the Aspidogastrida, containing a single family, the Aspidogastridae, which in turn contains 3 subfamilies, the Aspidogastrinae, the Cotylaspidinae and the Rohdellinae subfam.nov.; and the Stychocotylida ord.nov., containing 3 families, the Stichocotylidae, the Multicalycidae fam.nov. and the Rugogastridae. The systematic position of the Stichocotylida, and especially the Rugogastridae, is commented upon.