Gauchergasilus, a new genus for Ergasilus euripedesi Montú, 1980, an abundant parasitic copepod from the Patos Lagoon in southern Brazil

Abstract

Ergasilus euripedesi is redescribed from newly collected material of both sexes. A new genus, Gauchergasilus, is proposed, with Gauchergasilus euripedesi n. comb., formerly Ergasilus euripedsi Montú, 1980, as its type and only species. The new genus is characterised principally by the five-segmented antennule, the presence of a conspicuous barb on the concave margin of the claw of the antenna, the two-segmented endopod of leg 1 and the reduced fifth leg comprising two setae, one papillate. The male lacks the barb on the antennal claw but its other appendages are similar to those of the female, except for the maxilliped which is absent in females. The affinities of the new genus lie with the Acusicola group of genera.

Metazoan parasites of Geophagus brasiliensis (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in Patos lagoon, extreme south of Brazil

“…The ergasilid G. euripedesi is widely distributed in estuarine waters, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul to Sergipe (MONTÚ & BOXSHALL, 2002). This ergasilid has already been reported in the gills of M. furnieri, which were also sampled in the same estuary of Patos Lagoon (VELLOSO & PEREIRA, 2010).…”

Phylogeny of freshwater parasitic copepods in the Ergasilidae (Copepoda: Poecilostomatoida) based on 18S and 28S rDNA sequences

“…In China, a total of five Ergasilidae genera have been reported, and all are freshwater parasites, including Ergasilus Von Nordmann 1832, Neoergasilus Yin 1956, Paraergasilus Markewitsch 1937, Pseudergasilus Yamaguti 1936, and Sinergasilus Yin 1956, 1, and 3 species recorded, respectively (Kuang and Qian 1991). Of these five Ergasilidae genera, Ergasilus is a worldwide pervasive genus containing more than 180 nominal species and was thought to be paraphyletic (Montú and Boxshall 2002;El-Rashidy and Boxshall 2001a); Paraergasilus is distributed in about ten countries containing 14 species (El-Rashidy and Boxshall 2001b); Sinergasilus is a specific taxon, which mainly infects cyprinid fishes, especially the "four major-domestic fish species" in China and contains only three species (Yin 1949(Yin , 1956; Pseudergasilus is a less studied genus, and only two species were reported so far. For the genus Neoergasilus, seven species have been reported including three found in China (Kumari et al 1988;Kuang and Qian 1991;Kim and Choi 2003); however, Neoergasilus species were not found during the sampling process for the present study.…”

A new species of Ergasilus Nordmann, 1832 (Copepoda, Ergasilidae) from Brazil

“…Twelve of these Ergasilus species, all from Brazil, also possess a 2-segmented endopod in the fourth swimming leg, which serves to distinguis h them from the new species described here. These twelve species are E. bryconis Thatcher, 1981, E. callophysus Thatcher & Boeger, 1984, E. holobryconis Malta & Varella, 1986, E. hydrolochu s Thatcher, Boeger & Robertson, 1984, E. hypophthalmi Boeger, Matins & Thatcher, 1993, E. iheringi Tidd, 1942, E. jaraquensi s Thatcher & Boeger, 1982, E. leporinidi s Thatcher, 1981, E. triangulari s Malta, 1994, E. turucuyus Malta & Varella, 1996, E. urupaensis Malta, 1993, and E. yumaricus Malta & Varella, 1995 Ergasilus euripedesi Montú, 1980 also has a 2-segmented endopod on the rst swimming leg but is not considered here as it has recently been proposed as type species of a new genus Gauchergasilus belonging to the Acusicola-lineage within the family (Montú & Boxshall, 2002).…”

“…This component includes the pre-metamorphic stages of Therodamas serrani Krøyer, 1863, both sexes of Acusicola minuta Araujo & Boxshall, 2001, both sexes of Gauchergasilus euripedesi (Montú, 1980), and females only of a new species of Ergasilus Nordmann, 1832 (see Araujo & Boxshall, 2001a, b;Montú & Boxshall, 2002). Subsequent examination of zooplankton samples from the Patos Lagoon and from open waters in the Taim nature reserve revealed the same undescribed Ergasilus species from the far south of Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul.…”