Ligophorus llewellyni n. sp. (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from the redlip mullet Liza haematocheilus (Temminck & Schlegel) introduced into the Black Sea from the Far East

Abstract

Ligophorus llewellyni n. sp. (Ancyrocephalidae: Ligophorus Euzet & Suriano, 1977) is described from the gills of Liza haematocheilus (Temminck & Schlegel) introduced into the Black Sea from the Far East. Ligophorus llewellyni is closely related to L. pilengas Sarabeev & Balbuena, 2004, which parasitises the same host species. The two species differ in the morphology of the accessory piece of the copulatory organ and in some of the characters of the haptoral hard-parts. The morphometric variability of L. llewellyni and in its morphologically most similar congeners from the Black Sea is studied. Correlations between 30 morphometric characters of the haptoral hard-parts and the significance of each for species differentiation are examined. It is suggested that only 22 characters are useful as diagnostic criteria permitting the differentiation of morphologically similar species of Ligophorus.

Redescriptions of Ligophorus cephali Rubtsova, Balbuena, Sarabeev, Blasco-Costa & Euzet, 2006 and L. chabaudi Euzet & Suriano, 1977 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae), with notes on the functional morphology of the copulatory organ

“…Miroshnichenko & Maltsev (2004), when comparing L. chabaudi from the Black Sea with its description from the Mediterranean Sea by Euzet & Suriano (1977), also pointed out differences in some details. The comparison of our material, which was used for descriptions of L. chabaudi from M. cephalus in the Black Sea (Dmitrieva, 1996;Dmitrieva & Gerasev, 1996;Dmitrieva et al, 2007), with the type-material of L. cephali confirms that L. chabaudi of Dmitrieva & Gerasev (1996) is identical with the latter species. However, the original description of L. cephali contains significant inaccuracies and mistakes, which have already been noted in our redescription of L. mediterraneus Sarabeev, Balbuena & Euzet, 2005 (see Dmitrieva et al, 2009).…”

“…The redescription of Ligophorus cephali was based on data from the article of Dmitrieva, Gerasev & Pron'kina (2007) and on the re-examination of the specimens used in that work. Measurements and drawings of L. chabaudi are based on 20 specimens collected from the gills of four individuals of Mugil cephalus, 29-39 cm long, captured in the Mistras Lagoon (39°54 0 N, 8°28 0 E), Sardinia, western Mediterranean Sea, and on 18 specimens collected from the gills of four specimens of M. cephalus, 35-40 cm long, captured in the Zaliv Pos'yeta (42°42 0 N, 130°49 0 E), Sea of Japan.…”

“…Drawings and light micrographs were made using a Carl Zeiss Amplival microscope (magnification 2,0009) with phase contrast illumination, using a drawing tube and an Olympus C180 digital camera. The measurement scheme of Dmitrieva, Gerasev & Pron'kina (2007) was used with minor changes (Fig. 1), and the abbreviations for the features measured are explained in Table 1; but, in order to enable a comparison with the data of Rubtsova et al (2006a), measurements of the roots of the anchors (VIR, DIR-inner roots; VOR, DORouter roots) and main part of the anchor (VM, DM) were also recorded.…”

Ligophorus saladensis n. sp. (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from Mugil platanus Günther in Samborombón Bay, Argentina

“…Further detailed studies are needed to determine the effects of temperature and other environmental conditions on Ligophorus species. All studied mugilids have been infected with more than one species of Ligophorus (see Dmitrieva et al, 2007), but L. saladensis n. sp. was the only monogenean species found during this study.…”

Ligophorus uruguayense sp. nov. (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae), a gill parasite from Mugil platanus (Mugiliformes, Mugilidae) in Uruguay

“…The genus Ligophorus was established for species recovered from Mediterranean mugilids. In the Northern Hemisphere, new species of Ligophorus were found parasitizing mugilid species from the Black Sea, Azov Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean (Dmitrieva and Gerasev 1996;Sarabeev and Balbuena 2004;Sarabeev et al 2005;Rubtsova et al 2006Rubtsova et al , 2007Dmitrieva et al 2007). In the Southern Hemisphere the only species so far described is L. huitrempe Fernández Bargiela, 1987 from a mugilid in the Chilean coast, Pacific Ocean.…”