Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus), 1952

Moravec, František & Justine, Jean-Lou, 2019, New species and new records of camallanid nematodes (Nematoda, Camallanidae) from marine fishes and sea snakes in New Caledonia, Parasite (Paris, France) 26 (66), pp. 1-25 : 20-21

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3

Figure 14

Host: New Caledonian sea krait Laticauda saintgironsi Cogger et Heatwole ( Elapidae, Serpentes ).

Site of infection: Collected from regurgitated digestive content of snake.

Locality : Île Amédée, off Nouméa, New Caledonia (collected 14 February 2011) .

Prevalence and intensity: 1 snake infected/90 examined; 1 nematode.

Deposition of voucher specimen: Muséum National d’ Histoire Naturelle, Paris, MNHN JNB 011.

Description

Female (one ovigerous specimen): Length of body 23.11 mm, maximum width 462. Buccal capsule including basal ring 114 long, its width 90; basal ring 12 long and 66 wide. Maximum width/length ratio of buccal capsule 1:1.27. Spiral ridges 13, of which 5 incomplete ( Fig. 14C ). Length of muscular oesophagus 598, maximum width 105; length of glandular oesophagus 1020, maximum width 192 ( Fig. 14A ); length ratio of muscular and glandular oesophagus 1:1.71. Length of entire oesophagus and buccal capsule representing 7% of body length. Nerve ring 367 from anterior extremity. Deirids small, situated 243 from anterior extremity, approximately at mid-way between base of buccal capsule and nerve ring ( Fig. 14B ). Excretory pore located short distance posterior to posterior end of muscular oesophagus, at 816 from anterior end of body ( Fig. 14A ). Vulva postequatorial, 11.90 mm from anterior extremity, at 52% of body length. Vulval lips not elevated. Vagina directed posteriorly from vulva. Uterus filled with many eggs. Tail broad, somewhat conical, its posterior end abruptly narrowed to form digit-like protrusion provided with one small terminal cuticular knob; length of entire tail 122; digit-like protrusion 27 long, 15 wide ( Figs. 14D and 14E ).

Remarks

The presence of a single subgravid female but no male makes species identification of this nematode impossible. As in the previous case, it is apparent that the actual definitive host is a fish and the sea-snake acts only as a postcyclic host, which acquired the infection by feeding on fish. The nematode was collected from the regurgitated digestive content of a snake induced by manipulation, no identifiable prey fish was recovered.

Figures

Figure 14. Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3 from Laticauda saintgironsi, subgravid female. (A, B) Anterior end, lateral and dorsoventral views, respectively; (C) buccal capsule, lateral view; (D) tail, lateral view; (E) tail tip, lateral view.