Falcaustra similis Moravec et Van As, 2004

Moravec, František & Jirků, Miloslav, 2017, Some nematodes from freshwater fishes in central Africa, Folia Parasitologica (033) 64, pp. 1-39 : 8

Falcaustra similis Moravec et Van As, 2004

Host: Synodontis acanthomias ( Siluriformes : Mochokidae ).

Site of infection: Intestine.

Locality : Lower Congo River, right bank near Bulu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 05°01'30''N; 14°00'25''E (collected 11 July 2008) .

Prevalence and intensity: 1 fish infected/4 fish examined; 3 nematode (only 2 specimens analysed morphologically).

Deposition of voucher specimens: IPCAS N-819.

Remarks. The present material consisted of only two specimens (one male and one gravid female, plus one specimen preserved in absolute alcohol), whose morphology and measurements are in full agreement with the descriptions of F. similis provided by Moravec and Van As (2004, 2015a), thus we refrain from redescribing this species again.

Falcaustra similis is a specific parasite of African catfishes, previously reported from Synodontis frontosus Vaillant , S. nigrita Valenciennes , S. nigromaculatus (type host), S. schall (Bloch et Schneider) , S. serratus Rüppel , S. vanderwaali Skelton et White (all Mochokidae ) and Schilbe intermedius (Schilbeidae) in Botswana and Sudan ( Moravec and Van As 2004, 2015a, Moravec and Scholz 2017). The findings of F. similis from S. acanthomias in the Democratic Republic of the Congo represent new host and geographical records.