Anteropora pumilionis, Mojica & Jensen & Caira, 2013

Mojica, Kendra R., Jensen, Kirsten & Caira, Janine N., 2013, Revision Of Anteropora (Cestoda: Lecanicephalidea) And Descriptions Of Five New Species From Stingrays (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) In Borneo, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61 (2), pp. 491-506 : 501-503

Anteropora pumilionis , new species

( Figs. 6 , 7 , 8B )

Type and only host. — Himantura pastinacoides 1 (sensu Naylor et al., 2012a) ( Myliobatiformes : Dasyatidae )

Site of infection. — Spiral intestine

Holotype. — MZUM(P) 2013.14(H) ex Himantura pastinacoides 1 (sensu Naylor et al., 2012a) (host no. BO- 61), MALAYSIA: Mukah (02°54'N, 112°05'E), Sarawak, South China Sea , 12 Jun.2002, coll. J. N. Caira & K. Jensen.

Paratypes. — Ex Himantura pastinacoides 1 (sensu Naylor et al., 2012a), MALAYSIA: Mukah (02°54'N, 112°05'E), Sarawak, South China Sea , 12 Jun.2002 (host nos. BO-61, BO-168), and Kampung [=Village] Tetabuan (06°01'N, 117°42'E), Sabah, Sulu Sea , 21 Jun.2002 (host no. BO-76), 28 Apr.2003 (host no. BO-100), and 3 May 2003 (host no. BO-116), coll. J. N. Caira & K. Jensen. MZUM(P) 2013.15(P)–17(P) (3 whole mounts) (host nos. BO-61, BO- 100); SBC-P-00063, 00064 (2 whole mounts) (host no. BO- 61) ; ZRC.PAR. 29, 30 (2 whole mounts) (host nos. BO-61, BO-76); USNPC 106533–106535 (7 whole mounts) (host nos. BO-61, BO-100, BO-116) ; LRP 7987–7991 (5 whole mounts) (host no. BO-61). Two specimens (host no. BO-61) prepared for SEM retained by K. Jensen at the University of Kansas .

Etymology. — Derived from pumilio (L., dwarf) in reference to the small size of this species.

Description. — Based on 22 specimens: 20 whole mounts of mature worms and two whole worms prepared for SEM.

Worms 567–814 (697 ± 71; 20) long; maximum width at scolex, euapolytic; proglottids 6–7 (6 ± 1; 20) in number. Scolex 128–171 (144 ± 11; 20) long by 125–172 (145 ± 13; 15) wide, consisting of four acetabula, apical modificaton of scolex proper, apical organ, and short region of scolex proper posterior to acetabula; cephalic peduncle absent. Acetabula bothridiate in form, oval in shape; each bothridium with medial bilateral notches and posterior notch at midline, 97–127 (110 ± 7; 20; 40) long by 61–87 (73 ± 6; 16; 32) wide. Apical modification of scolex proper dome-shaped, with raised rim, apparently lacking aperture at center, housing apical organ. Apical organ inverted campanulate in form, primarily muscular, with few gland cells at base, 19–27 (23 ± 2; 20) long by 23–43 (37 ± 5; 20) wide, non-protrusible. Apical modification of scolex proper covered with hastate spinitriches and acicular filitriches ( Fig. 7D ), with conspicuous apical rim bearing hamulate spinitriches and capilliform filitriches ( Fig. 7C ). Distal ( Fig. 7E ) and proximal ( Fig. 7F ) surfaces of bothridia covered with gladiate spinitriches and acicular filitriches. Scolex proper posterior to bothridia with hastate spinitriches and acicular filitriches ( Fig. 7G ). Proglottids covered with capilliform filitriches throughout, also with small hastate spinitriches on anterior margins and with small scolopate spinitriches along posterior proglottid margins ( Fig. 7H ).

Proglottids craspedote, non-laciniate. Immature proglottids 5–6 (5 ± 1; 20) in number, initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity. Mature proglottid one in number; subterminal proglottid 77–214 (126 ± 35; 20) long by 50–86 (73 ± 8; 20) wide; terminal proglottid 285–432 (359 ± 43; 20) long by 89–134 (115 ± 14; 20) wide. Testes invariably four in number, arranged in single column, 25–43 (32 ± 4; 14; 36) long by 50–84 (69 ± 8; 14; 39) wide, extending from anterior margin of proglottid to slightly overlap anterior margin of ovary. Vasa efferentia not observed. Vas deferens in fully mature proglottids enlarged to form external seminal vesicle, extending from ootype region to anterior margin of cirrus-sac. Internal seminal vesicle not observed. Cirrus-sac pyriform, extending between first and second testis, slightly angled anteriorly, 59–87 (74 ± 10; 19) long by 23–44 (32 ± 5; 17) wide, containing coiled cirrus. Cirrus armed with spinitriches. Ovary smooth, H-shaped in frontal view, tetralobed in cross-section, symmetrical, 60–121 (88 ± 17; 19) long by 55–98 (83 ± 13; 20) wide; ovarian bridge at middle of ovary. Mehlis’ gland posterior to ovarian bridge. Vagina extending along lateral margin of proglottid from ootype region to genital atrium, opening into genital atrium posterior to cirrus-sac. Genital pores lateral, irregularly alternating, 69–80% (74 ± 3; 20) of proglottid length from posterior end. Uterus saccate, extending essentially along midline of proglottid from ovarian bridge to posterior margin of anterior-most testis. Vitellarium follicular; vitelline follicles 11–29 (19 ± 5; 19; 57) long by 14–39 (26 ± 7; 19; 57) wide, in two lateral fields; each field consisting of two columns, extending from posterior margin of anterior-most testis on aporal side and from posterior margin of cirrus-sac on poral side to posterior margin of proglottid, interrupted by ovary. Two pairs of excretory vessels. Eggs not observed.

Remarks. — Unlike A. indica , A. japonica , A. klosmamorphis and A. leelongi , A. pumilionis , new species, is euapolytic, rather than hyperapolytic. Unlike all of its congeners except A. patulobothridium and A. japonica (and A. indica in which the scolex is not known), this new species exhibits an apical organ that is primarily muscular rather than glandular. It has fewer testes than A. japonica (four vs six) and possesses a vas deferens expanded to form an external seminal vesicle while the vas deferens in A. indica is minimal. In addition, it is a much shorter worm (total length 567–814 vs 2,925 –6,195 and 986–2,657, respectively) with many fewer total proglottids (6–7 vs 43–82 and 10–25, respectively) than A. cuba and A. joannae . Like A. patulobothridium , A. pumilionis , new species, possesses an apical modification of the scolex proper with a raised rim bearing hamulate spinitriches and a region of the scolex proper posterior to the bothridia that bears hastate spinitriches. It is unique among its congeners in that its bothridia are notched on the lateral margins (as well as on the posterior margin) and can be further distinguished from A. patulobothridium in its possession of fewer total proglottids (6–7 vs 8–11).

The diagnoses of family and genus are emended below to accommodate the inclusion of these five new species.

Figures

Fig. 6. Line drawings of Anteropora pumilionis, new species. A, whole worm, holotype (MZUM[P] 2013.14[H]); B, scolex, holotype (MZUM[P] 2013.14[H]); C, terminal proglottid, paratype (USNPC 106534).

Fig. 7. Scanning electron micrographs of Anteropora pumilionis, new species. A, whole worm; B, scolex (small letters indicate location of details in C–H); C, surface of raised rim of apical modification of scolex proper; D, surface of apical modification of scolex proper; E, distal bothridial surface; F, proximal bothridial surface; G, surface of scolex proper posterior to bothridia; H, surfaces at boundary between adjacent proglottids.

Fig. 8. Light micrographs of Anteropora species. A, primarily glandular apical organ of A. joannae, new species, holotype (MZUM[P] 2013.7[H]); B, primarily muscular apical organ of A. pumilionis, new species, paratype (USNPC 106535); C, crosssection through proglottid of A. joannae, new species anterior to cirrus-sac, paratype (USNPC 106526); D, cross-section through proglottid of A. joannae, new species at level of ovary, paratype (USNPC 106526). (Abbreviations: ESV, external seminal vesicle; MG, Mehlis’ gland; O, ovary; T, testis; U, uterus; VG, vagina; VT, vitelline follicle.)