Description of a new species of Pseudopecoelus (Trematoda: Opecoelidae) with new records of trematodes of marine fishes from the Pacific coast of Mexico

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
As a part of the revision of unidentified specimens harbored by the Colección Nacional de Helmintos of the Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, we studied several specimens of trematodes collected and processed between 1950 and 1980 in marine fishes from several localities along the Pacific coast of Mexico. Amongthese specimens, we found 1 undescribed species of the genus Pseudopecoelus von Wicklen, 1946 (Pseudopecoelus ibunami n. sp.) of the intestine of the spotted grouper Epinephelus analogus Gill, 1863 (Actinopterygii: Serranidae) from Bahía de La Paz, Baja California Sur. This species is the number 40 known for this genus worldwide and the fifthregistered parasitizing fishes from Mexico. The new species differs from the 17 species of Pseudopecoelus with vitelline follicles distributed anteriorly to ventral sucker by having a combination of the following traits: 1) body elongate, narrow, with irregular posterior end, 2) testes and ovary deeply-lobed, and 3) external seminal vesicle reaching only the anterior margin of ventral sucker. In addition, in this study we present new host and geographical records for 6 species of trematodes in marine fishes from Mexico and Pachycreadium gastrocotylum (Manter, 1940) Manter, 1954 is recorded for the first time in this country.

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: