Caballerocotyla lenti n. sp., a Capsalid Monogenean from Auxis thazard (Scombridae) from off the Southeastern Coast of Brazil

Vol. 97(7): 1067-1071, October 2002

Cristina D Mogrovejo, Cláudia P Santos*/⁺

Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil *Laboratório de Avaliação e Proteção Ambiental, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Caballerocotyla lenti n. sp. (Monogenea: Capsalidae), recovered from the gills of Auxis thazard (Lacépède) captured off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described using light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species is characterized by: a tegument with 2-5 rows of dorso-marginal, unicuspid spines; 53-54 round testes; a constricted pharynx with numerous papillae on its border; and a haptor with a plicate marginal border, a central polygonal area and seven complete septa. C. manteri (Price, 1951) and C. gouri Chauhan, 1953 sensu Murugesh (1995) are figured and commented upon.

Key words: Monogenea - Caballerocotyla lenti n. sp. - Auxis thazard - fish - Brazil

Among the Capsalidae, species of Caballerocotyla Price, 1960 are characterized by the position of the numerous testes, which are confined to the intercaecal area, and a pharynx with a typical constriction. The genus contains 26 species mainly reported from scombrid fishes throughout the world, in both tropical and subtropical areas.

Auxis thazard (Lacépède, 1800) is a pelagic, migratory, oceanic fish, that inhabits hot waters in all the tropical and subtropical seas, being commercially explored fresh, cured, tinned or as bait for great tunas fisheries. During a parasitological survey of this scombrid specimens of Caballerocotyla were encountered on the gills. These worms are described below as a new species, based on studies using both light and electron microscopy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Dr David Gibson of The Natural History Museum, London for help from the Host-Parasite Data-Base of the Parasitic Worms Division, for providing literature and the loan of specimens. To Chaparral Ltda for donation of fresh fishes and to Dr Marlene Benchimol from the Laboratory of Electronic Microscopy of University Santa Úrsula, for technical support.

REFERENCES

Fig. 1 | Fig. 2 | Figs 3 - 4 | Figs 5 - 6 | Fig. 7 | Fig. 8

Financial support: Faperj/Mackpesquisa

⁺Corresponding author. Fax: +55-21-2598.4378. E-mail: cpsantos@ioc.fiocruz.br

Received 3 April 2002

Accepted 31 July 2002