Distribution extension of Escherbothrium molinae Berman and Brooks, 1994 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea: Triloculariidae) in Urotrygon sp. from the Pacific Coast of Mexico

Abstract

Cestodes collected from the spiral valves of the stingray Urotrygon sp. from the Pacific coast of Mexico were identified as Escherbothrium molinae Berman and Brooks, 1994. The first report of the species was from the Gulf of Nicoya and the Guanacaste coast, Costa Rica; this work represents the second report of the species since the original description and extends its distribution north to Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.

Distribution extension of Dasyonchocotyle dasyatis (Yamaguti, 1968) Boeger & Kritsky, 1989 (Monogenea: Hexabothriidae) in Dasyatis longa (Garman, 1880) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) from Sinaloa, México

“…These stingrays are attractive, so it is obvious that the general public would give more attention to them than to their parasites, but, as discussed by Zaragoza-Tapia et al (2013), helminths are an important component of our biodiversity, even though their hosts are the principle focus of most conservation efforts. It has long been known and documented (Price 1980 and citations within) that the number of species of parasites exceeds the number of species of free-living organisms.…”