Beluesca longicolla, Miller, Terrence L. & Cribb, Thomas H., 2007

Miller, Terrence L. & Cribb, Thomas H., 2007, Two new cryptogonimid genera Beluesca n. gen. and Chelediadema n. gen. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from tropical Indo-West Pacific Haemulidae (Perciformes), Zootaxa 1543, pp. 45-60 : 49-52

Beluesca longicolla n. sp.

( Figs 4 and 5 )

Type host: Plectorhinchus gibbosus (Lacepède) .

Type locality: Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef (23°26’S; 151°54’E), Queensland, Australia. Site: Intestine and pyloric caeca.

Prevalence: 1 of 5 (20%) at Heron Island, 0 of 1 at Lizard Island. Deposited specimens: holotype G227666, ten paratypes G227667–227676.

Etymology: The epithet longicolla is derived from the Latin longus, meaning long and collum, meaning neck, referring to the long forebody of this species.

Description: Based on 11 specimens. Body elongate, longer than wide, 2361 (2216–2536) long by 357 (320–384) wide; length/width ratio 6.7 (6–7.5). Oral sucker funnel-shaped, 226 (208–244) long by 186 (176– 195) wide. Oral spines 19 (19–21), length 64 (51–82). Ventral sucker 94 (91–96) long by 98 (94–109) wide. Ratio oral/ventral sucker width 1.9 (1.8–2). Forebody occupying 66 (64–67)% of body length. Prepharynx much shorter than oesophagus, 56 (46–85) long. Pharynx 72 (68–78) long by 71 (68–75) wide. Ventral sucker/pharynx width ratio 1.4 (1.3–1.5). Oesophagus 687 (592–774) long. Intestinal bifurcation near midforebody, well anterior to ventral sucker. Intestinal caeca blind, 1099 (1053–1157) long, terminate close to posterior end of body. Testes two, opposite to oblique, in mid- to anterior hindbody, 259 (228–304) long by 152 (125–189) wide. Seminal vesicle tubulosaccular, between testes and ventral sucker. Genital pore immediately anterior to ventral sucker. Ovary deeply lobed 138 (99–163) long by 132 (109–144) wide, ventral to or immediately anterior to testes. Laurer’s canal present. Seminal receptacle tubulosaccular, posterior to ovary, may extend well posterior to testes. Vitelline follicles in two lateral groups, extend from level of ventral sucker to midway between ventral sucker and intestinal bifurcation, do not extend posterior to ventral sucker. Uterine coils restricted to hindbody, extend from posterior end of body to ventral sucker. Eggs small, darkly tanned, 16 (13–18) long by 7 (7–8) wide. Excretory vesicle Y-shaped, bifurcates dorsal to ovary; arms extend to pharynx, 2038 (1888–2224) long.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 5. Beluesca longicolla n. sp. from the intestine of Plectorhinchus gibbosus off Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. 4. Ventral view of holotype. 5. Ventral view of paratype G 227667. Scale bar for both figures = 500 Μm.