Benedenia anticavaginata Byrnes, 1986

Whittington, I. D., Deveney, M. R. & Wyborn, S. J., 2001, A revision of Benedenia Diesing, 1858 including a redescription of B. sciaenae (van Beneden, 1856) Odhner, 1905 and recognition of Menziesia Gibson, 1976 (Monogenea: Capsalidae), Journal of Natural History 35 (5), pp. 663-777 : 685-686

Benedenia anticavaginata Byrnes, 1986

(®gures 9E±H, 10B)

Synonym. Tareenia anticavaginat a ( Byrnes, 1986) Egorova, 1997.

Material studied. AM: No. W19899 6 (holotype) (1 slide, 1 individual); AM: No. W19899 7 (paratype) (1 slide, 1 individual) ex `under pectoral ®n’ of Acanthopagrus australis (Sparidae) from Gladstone and Brisbane, respectively, Queensland, Australia.

Observations. In most respects, Byrnes’ (1986) description is correct and adequate. Details of the arrangement of the number of lobes on the marginal valve in relation to the position of the hooklets were misrepresented by Byrnes (1986; see his ®gure 7) who did not discuss this feature. Our study has revealed the following arrangement: one lobe between hooklets of pair II on posterior border of haptor; two lobes between hooklets II and III; one lobe between hooklets III and IV and between IV and V; four to ®ve small lobes between hooklets V and VI; six small lobes between hooklets VI and VII; 11 small lobes between hooklets VII and VIII; 14 small lobes between hooklets of pair VIII (®gure 9E). The anterior and posterior hamuli are situated beside each other and overlap along most of their length and the proximal tips of the anterior hamuli overlap the distal ends of the accessory sclerites. Each posterior hamulus is invested in muscle ®bres (®gure 9H). We con®rm the anterior hamuli have a distinctive, blunt distal end although there is a small subterminal, ventrally directed spike (®gure 9G) whereas the distal tips of the posterior hamuli form a hook (®gure 9H). Tendons, much reduced in thickness in this species, are shown in ®gure 9E.

The only inadequacy in Byrnes’ description of the reproductive system was his failure to report a large, ¯at lobe which lies over the common genital pore (®gure 10B). This protruberance is larger than the small lip-like lobes associated with the common genital pore of B. lutjani (®gure 10C) but is less obvious than the large ¯ap-like lobe observed in B. acanthopagr i (®gure 10A). The male copulatory organ of B. anticavaginata is clearly a penis and neither penis canal nor accessory gland reservoir are strongly muscular. Byrnes depicted glands of Goto clearly in his ®gure 7 and indicated they joined the testes by thin ducts, but we could not see the glands or ducts in the type material, indicating, perhaps, that the specimens may have become more opaque with age.

The vagina opens anterior to the common genital pore on the dorsal surface of the body but, as with most specimens of species that display this character, the distal region and pore are often di cult to see.

Type-host and locality. Acanthopagrus australis (Sparidae) , Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.

Published record and description. Byrnes (1986).

Published host records. Sparidae : Acanthopagrus australis , A. berda .

Site .`Under pectoral ®n’.

Distribution. Gladstone, Brisbane, Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia.

Remarks. Byrnes (1986) described B. anticavaginata from only ®ve specimens but the species clearly belongs to Benedenia and can be distinguished unambiguousl y from other species that bear an`anterior vagina’. The vagina of B. acanthopagr i opens ventrally but those of B. anticavaginat a and B. lutjani open dorsally. Benedenia anticavaginata is, however, larger than B. lutjani and the lobe associated with the common genital pore is shaped diOEerently (®gure 10).