A new species ofCucullanus(Nematoda: Cucullanidae) parasite ofGenypterus blacodesandG. brasiliensis(Pisces: Ophidiidae) in the South West Atlantic

Abstract

Summary :Cucullanus genypteri sp. η, α parasite of Genypterus blacodes Schneider, 1801 and G. brasiliensis Reagan, 1903 (Pisces: Ophidiidae) from different zones of the South West Atlantic Ocean is described and illustrated. The new species is distinguished from other south american members in the genus Cucullanus Mueller, 1777 by the distribution pattern of caudal papillae and by the body measurements, particularly spicule length. C. genypteri represents the first description of a marine species of this genus from Argentina. Variations of parasitism in relation to host size, sex and geographic distribution are also discussed.

Specificity and host suitability ofCucullanus genypteri(Nematoda: Cucullanidae) in threeGenypterus(Ophiididae) fish host species from the southeastern Pacific Ocean

“…M orphometry and morphology of specimens from lings of the Pacific Ocean revealed no remarkable differences with Cucullanus genypteri as described in lings Genypterus blacodes and G. brasiliensis from the southwest Atlantic Ocean by Sardella et al (1997) (Table I). Males showed no significant differences neither in body length (F (2, 33) = 0.21 ; P = 0.81) nor in body width (F (2, 29) = 0.55 ; P = 0.58).…”

“…The fact that Cucullanus genypteri is more prevalent and abundant in G. blacodes, as these and published data reveal (Table II, Vergara & George-Nascimento, 1982;George-Nascimento & Huet, 1984;Riffo, 1994;Sardella et al, 1997), indicates that it is more specific to it (Table II). Differences in prevalence and abun dance among hosts species (Table II) can be explained by the differences in the habitats, bathymetric distri bution and diet of the hosts.…”

“…Genypterus species inhabiting the area (Vergara & George-Nascimento, 1982;George-Nascimento & Huet, 1984 ;Riffo, 1994): the golden ling Genypterus blacodes (Schneider, 1801), the red ling G. chilensis (Guichenot, 1848) and the black ling G. maculatus (Tschudi, 1846). Cucullanus genypteri was recently described by Sardella et al (1997) in two ling Genypterus species from the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Host specificity is Rohde's index of relative abundance of a parasite in alternative hosts (Rohde, 1980(Rohde, , 1994.…”

“…ucullanus genypteri was described in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean in Genypterus blacodes and G. brasiliensis (Sardella et al, 1997). In the Pacific Ocean, the only phenotypic traits allowing to suspect the existence of more than one Cucullanus species are the longer oesophagus of para sites in golden lings, and the longer spicules of males collected from the red ling than in males collected from the two other hosts species (Table I).…”

Community ecology of the metazoan parasites of pink cusk-eel, Genypterus brasiliensis (Osteichthyes: Ophidiidae), from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Pereira Jr. (2000) provided new morphologic data on the cestode Anonchocephalus chilensis (Riggenbach 1896), a species redescribed anteriorly by Suriano and Labriola (1998) based upon specimens collected from G. blacodes (Forster, 1801). From Argentina, some records of parasites of G. brasiliensis were made by Sardella et al (1997Sardella et al ( , 1998 and Navone et al (1998). Quantitative aspects of the parasites of G. brasiliensis were studied by Sardella et al (1998) from Argentina.…”