Some Copepoda Parasitic on Fishes of the New Zealand Region

<p>Material representing 38 species of parasitic Copepoda, Order Caligoida, from New Zealand marine fishes, belonging to 20 genera and six families is discussed. Except for Lepeophtheirus erecsoni Thomson, of which only damaged material was available, the species are described and figured in detail. Previous records from New Zealand waters are discussed. The name Caligus vicarius is proposed for C. longicaudatus Brady which is preoccupied. Species examined and their hosts are as follows (new hosts for previously known species, and previously known species newly recorded from New Zealand are marked with asterisks) - Caligidae: Caligus brevis Shiinox on Pseudolabrus pittensisx, P. milesx and P. celidotusx; C. aesopus Wilsonx on Seriola grandisx; C. pelamydis Kroyerx on Thyrsites atunx; C. buechlerae Hewitt on Tripterygion sp.; Lepeophtheirus erecsoni Thomson on Latridopsis ciliaris; L. scutiger Shiinox on Pseudolabrus pittensisx, P. milesx and P. celidotusx; L. insignis Wilsonx on Mola mola; L. polyprioni Hewitt on Polyprion oxygenios and P. moeone; L. argentus Hewitt on Hyperoglyphe porosa; L. heegaardi Hewitt on Lepidopus caudatus; L. distinctus Hewitt on Genypterus blacodes; Euyphoridae: Gloiopotes huttoni (Thomson) on Makaira mitsukurii and M. marlina; Elytrophora brachyptera Gerstaekerx on Thunnus alalunga and. T. maccoyix; Pandaridae: Nesippus orientalis Hellerx on Mustelus antarcticus and Notorhynchus pectorosusx; N. borealis (Steenstrup and Lutken)x on Isurus oxyrinchusx; Dinemoura latifolia Steenstrup and Lutken on Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus and Galeorhinus australis; D. producta (Muller) on Cetorhinus maximus and Carcharodon carcharias; Demoleus latus Shiinox on Squalus acanthiasx; Echthrogaleus braccatus (Dana) on an unrecorded host; E. coleoptratus (Guerin)x on Prionace glauca and Lamna nasus; E. denticulatus Smith on an unrecorded host; Phyllothyreus cornutus (Milne-Edwards)x on Isurus oxyrinchus; Pandarus bicolor Leachx on Squalus acanthias, Galeorhinus australisx, Notorhynchus pectorosusx and Cyprimulus sp.x; P. cranchii Leach on Galeorhinus australisx and Isurus oxyrinchus; Perissopus dentatus Steenstrup and Lutkenx on a hammerhead shark; Cecropidae: Cecrops latreillii Leach on Mola mola; Eudactylinidae: Nemesis lamna Rissox on Carcharodon carcharias, Cetorhinus maximus and Isurus oxyrinchus; N. robusta (van Beneden)x on Alopias vulpinus; Congericola pallidus van Benedenx on Conger vereauxix Dichelesthiidae; Pseudocycnus appendiculatus Hellerx on Thunnus alalunga; a new species of Hatschekia on Allomycterus jaculiferus; a further new species of Hatschekia on Lepidopus caudatus; Anthosomidae: a new species of Pseudolernanthropus on Thyrsites atun and Jordanidia solandri; a new species of Lernanthropus on Seriolella brama; Aethon percis (Thomson) on Parapercis coelias; two new species of Aethon on Cheilodactylus macropterus and Latridopus caudatues; Anthosoma crassum (Abildgaard) on Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus, Lamna nasus and Galeorhinus galeusx; this collection includes all species belonging to these families which have previously and reliably been recorded from New Zealand waters, and of which adequate descriptions exist. The similarities of the cephalic appendages of caligoid copepods to those of free living copepods is discussed. The biogeographical relationships of the species here recorded are considered and it is concluded that many of these species, particularly those parasitic on elasmobranchs, are widespread, and that many of those with apparently restricted distributions may become known from other regions, especially when the little investigated parasite faunas of fishes from the South Pacific and South Atlantic become more fully known; the hosts from which the present species have been recorded are compared; it is shown that species occurring on elasmobranchs are confined to this but show little host specificity within it; teleost parasites may be restricted to one host species, one host genus, one host family, or to host families with systematic or ecological affinities; Cecrops latreillii is unique among these parasites in occurring on three quite different and apparently unrelated host species.</p>

Some Copepoda Parasitic on Fishes of the New Zealand Region

<p>Material representing 38 species of parasitic Copepoda, Order Caligoida, from New Zealand marine fishes, belonging to 20 genera and six families is discussed. Except for Lepeophtheirus erecsoni Thomson, of which only damaged material was available, the species are described and figured in detail. Previous records from New Zealand waters are discussed. The name Caligus vicarius is proposed for C. longicaudatus Brady which is preoccupied. Species examined and their hosts are as follows (new hosts for previously known species, and previously known species newly recorded from New Zealand are marked with asterisks) - Caligidae: Caligus brevis Shiinox on Pseudolabrus pittensisx, P. milesx and P. celidotusx; C. aesopus Wilsonx on Seriola grandisx; C. pelamydis Kroyerx on Thyrsites atunx; C. buechlerae Hewitt on Tripterygion sp.; Lepeophtheirus erecsoni Thomson on Latridopsis ciliaris; L. scutiger Shiinox on Pseudolabrus pittensisx, P. milesx and P. celidotusx; L. insignis Wilsonx on Mola mola; L. polyprioni Hewitt on Polyprion oxygenios and P. moeone; L. argentus Hewitt on Hyperoglyphe porosa; L. heegaardi Hewitt on Lepidopus caudatus; L. distinctus Hewitt on Genypterus blacodes; Euyphoridae: Gloiopotes huttoni (Thomson) on Makaira mitsukurii and M. marlina; Elytrophora brachyptera Gerstaekerx on Thunnus alalunga and. T. maccoyix; Pandaridae: Nesippus orientalis Hellerx on Mustelus antarcticus and Notorhynchus pectorosusx; N. borealis (Steenstrup and Lutken)x on Isurus oxyrinchusx; Dinemoura latifolia Steenstrup and Lutken on Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus and Galeorhinus australis; D. producta (Muller) on Cetorhinus maximus and Carcharodon carcharias; Demoleus latus Shiinox on Squalus acanthiasx; Echthrogaleus braccatus (Dana) on an unrecorded host; E. coleoptratus (Guerin)x on Prionace glauca and Lamna nasus; E. denticulatus Smith on an unrecorded host; Phyllothyreus cornutus (Milne-Edwards)x on Isurus oxyrinchus; Pandarus bicolor Leachx on Squalus acanthias, Galeorhinus australisx, Notorhynchus pectorosusx and Cyprimulus sp.x; P. cranchii Leach on Galeorhinus australisx and Isurus oxyrinchus; Perissopus dentatus Steenstrup and Lutkenx on a hammerhead shark; Cecropidae: Cecrops latreillii Leach on Mola mola; Eudactylinidae: Nemesis lamna Rissox on Carcharodon carcharias, Cetorhinus maximus and Isurus oxyrinchus; N. robusta (van Beneden)x on Alopias vulpinus; Congericola pallidus van Benedenx on Conger vereauxix Dichelesthiidae; Pseudocycnus appendiculatus Hellerx on Thunnus alalunga; a new species of Hatschekia on Allomycterus jaculiferus; a further new species of Hatschekia on Lepidopus caudatus; Anthosomidae: a new species of Pseudolernanthropus on Thyrsites atun and Jordanidia solandri; a new species of Lernanthropus on Seriolella brama; Aethon percis (Thomson) on Parapercis coelias; two new species of Aethon on Cheilodactylus macropterus and Latridopus caudatues; Anthosoma crassum (Abildgaard) on Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus, Lamna nasus and Galeorhinus galeusx; this collection includes all species belonging to these families which have previously and reliably been recorded from New Zealand waters, and of which adequate descriptions exist. The similarities of the cephalic appendages of caligoid copepods to those of free living copepods is discussed. The biogeographical relationships of the species here recorded are considered and it is concluded that many of these species, particularly those parasitic on elasmobranchs, are widespread, and that many of those with apparently restricted distributions may become known from other regions, especially when the little investigated parasite faunas of fishes from the South Pacific and South Atlantic become more fully known; the hosts from which the present species have been recorded are compared; it is shown that species occurring on elasmobranchs are confined to this but show little host specificity within it; teleost parasites may be restricted to one host species, one host genus, one host family, or to host families with systematic or ecological affinities; Cecrops latreillii is unique among these parasites in occurring on three quite different and apparently unrelated host species.</p>

Unique iris and pupil morphology in lamnid sharks

Documentation of the iris concentrating on color, pupillary shape, and orientation has been reported in a number of elasmobranch species, but has not been documented in lamnid sharks. This study examined the eyes of three lamnid sharks, white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), and porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) to characterize the iris color and pupil shape. All three species possess a brown color iris circling a horizontal slit pupil. A blue limbal ring of color circles the iris caused by the sclera and cartilage from the limbus which extends into the anterior chamber of the eye. The unique characteristics of the iris and pupil shape are described and implications of these findings on future research are discussed.

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fisheries Threatening Shark Conservation in African Waters Revealed from High Levels of Shark Mislabelling in Ghana

Mislabelling of fish and fish products has attracted much attention over the last decades, following public awareness of the practice of substituting high-value with low-value fish in markets, restaurants, and processed seafood. In some cases, mislabelling includes illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to overexploit substitute species that are undetectable when sold under wrong names. This is the first study of DNA barcoding to assess the level of mislabelling in fish marketed in Ghana, focusing on endangered shark species. Genetic identification was obtained from 650 base pair sequences within the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. All except one of 17 shark fillets analysed were wrongly labelled as compared with none of 28 samples of small commercial pelagic fish and 14 commercial shark samples purchased in Europe. Several substitute shark species in Ghana are endangered (Carcharhinus signatus and Isurus oxyrinchus) and critically endangered (Squatina aculeata). Shark products commercialized in Europe (n = 14) did not reveal mislabelling, thus specific shark mislabelling cannot be generalized. Although based on a limited number of samples and fish markets, the results that reveal trade of endangered sharks in Ghana markets encourage Ghanaian authorities to improve controls to enforce conservation measures.

Atlantic Shortfin Mako: Chronicle of a Death Foretold?

This article outlines recent events concerning the conservation and management trajectory of a highly migratory shark species, the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), in the North Atlantic, where it has been routinely captured recreationally and as part of commercial fishing operations alongside other species. Noting recent warnings concerning the high mortality of the species in this ocean region, and the threat of imminent population collapse, this article sets out a number of applicable law of the sea provisions, and carries out an evaluation of relevant measures for target and incidental capture species, discussing their applicability to the mako fishery. It also presents an analysis of regional and global governance actions taken to date by the international community and by individual actors, noting a number of shortfalls, and outlining potential responses.

Hierarchical Microstructure of Tooth Enameloid in Two Lamniform Shark Species, Carcharias taurus and Isurus oxyrinchus

Shark tooth enameloid is a hard tissue made up of nanoscale fluorapatite crystallites arranged in a unique hierarchical pattern. This microstructural design results in a macroscopic material that is stiff, strong, and tough, despite consisting almost completely of brittle mineral. In this contribution, we characterize and compare the enameloid microstructure of two modern lamniform sharks, Isurus oxyrinchus (shortfin mako shark) and Carcharias taurus (spotted ragged-tooth shark), based on scanning electron microscopy images. The hierarchical microstructure of shark enameloid is discussed in comparison with amniote enamel. Striking similarities in the microstructures of the two hard tissues are found. Identical structural motifs have developed on different levels of the hierarchy in response to similar biomechanical requirements in enameloid and enamel. Analyzing these structural patterns allows the identification of general microstructural design principles and their biomechanical function, thus paving the way for the design of bioinspired composite materials with superior properties such as high strength combined with high fracture resistance.