Size does not matter: molecular phylogeny reveals one of the largest trematodes from vertebrates, the enigmatic Ithyoclinostomum dimorphum, as a species of Clinostomum (Trematoda: Clinostomidae)

Some trematodes including three new species from freshwater fishes of Venezuela

The present paper comprises a systematic survey of trematodes found in 13 species of freshwater fishes in Venezuela collected in 1992, 1996 and 2001. The following 15 trematode species were recorded: Adults: Genarchella venezuelaensis sp. n., Thometrema dissimilis sp. n., Megacoelium spinicavum Thatcher et Varella, 1981, Doradamphistoma bacuense Thatcher, 1999, Crassicutis cichlasomae Manter, 1936, Parspina carapo Ostrowski de Núñez, Arredonto et Gil de Pertierra, 2011, Phyllodistomoides hoplerythrini sp. n. Larvae (metacercariae): Clinostomatopsis sorbens (Braun, 1899), Clinostomum marginatum (Rudolphi, 1819), C. detruncatum Braun, 1899, Ithyoclinostomum dimorphum (Diesing, 1850), Odhneriotrema microcephala (Travassos, 1922), Tylodelphys sp., Posthodiplostomum sp., Sphincterodiplostomum sp. All these parasites are reported from Venezuela for the first time and many of these findings represent new host records. The new species G. venezuelaensis sp. n., T. dissimilis sp. n. and P. hoplerythrini sp. n. were collected from the accessory respiratory organ of Loricariichthys brunneus (Hancock) (Loricariidae), from the stomach of Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus (Spix et Agassiz) (Erythrinidae) and from the intestine of H. unitaeniatus, respectively. All parasites are briefly described and illustrated and problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Megacoelium spinispecum Thatcher et Varella, 1981 is considered a junior synonym of M. spinicavum Thatcher et Varella, 1981, and Crassicutis opisthoseminis Bravo-Hollis et Arroyo, 1962 as a junior synonym of C. cichlasomae Manter, 1936.

Metazoan endoparasites of Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) (Actinopterygii: Erythrinidae) from upper and middle São Francisco river basin, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The endoparasitic fauna of Hoplias malabaricus (which is a species of paramount importance in the fishing and human food sectors) from Três Marias reservoir, São Francisco river, and from eleven marginal lagoons in the upper and middle São Francisco river basin, Brazil, was herein recorded for the first time. In total, 13 endoparasite species belonging to ten different families were found in 147 analyzed H. malabaricus specimens. The identified taxa comprised individuals belonging to phyla Apicomplexa-Calyptosporidae-Caplyptospora sp. (oocysts); Platyhelminthes-Trematoda-Diplostomidae (metacercariae)-Austrodiplostomum sp. and Sphincterodiplostomum musculosum, Clinostomidae (metacercariae)-Clinostomum sp., Gorgoderidae (adults)-Phyllodistomum spatula, and Eucestoda-Proteocephalidae gen. sp. (plerocercoids larvae); and Nematoda-Anisakidae (larvae)-Contracaecum sp. Types 1 and 2 and Hysterothylacium sp., Gnathostomatidae (larvae)-Spiroxys sp., Camallanidae (juveniles/adults)-Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus, Guyanemidae (juveniles/adults)-Guyanema baudi, and Cystidicolidae (juveniles/adults)-Cystidicoloides fischeri. Proteocephalidae gen. sp. and Contracaecum sp. Type 1 were the species presenting expressive parasitic indexes in the reservoir, in the river, and in nine of the eleven lagoons. Cystidicoloides fischeri was recorded for the first time in H. malabaricus. Guyanema baudi and S. musculosum had their geographic distribution expanded to São Francisco river basin.