Polyphyly of the Dinurinae Looss, 1907 (Digenea: Hemiuridae) and resurrection of the Mecoderinae Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954 based on novel collection of Tubulovesicula laticaudi Parukhin, 1969 from marine elapid snakes in Sri Lanka

Parasaturnius maurepasi n. gen. et n. comb. (Digena: Bunocotylidae) from the stomach of the silver mullet, Mugil curema (Perciformes: Mugilidae) in coastal lagoons of northern Yucatán, Mexico

Bunocotylid trematodes represent a group of 149 species with a rather complex taxonomic history. The current concept of the subfamily only includes three genera, Bunocotyle, Saturnius, and Robinia. Specimens of a bunocotylid were collected from the silver mullet, M. curema, from a coastal lagoon of Yucatán and identified as belonging to Saturnius. Further detailed morphological study revealed they corresponded to S. maurepasi, a species previously reported from the stripped mullet, Mugil cephalus in Mississippi, USA. Specimens were sequenced for the LSU of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (28S) to test their phylogenetic position. We discovered that they do not belong in Saturnius since they nest as an independent lineage which is the sister taxa of a clade formed by Robinia, and Saturnius + Bunocotyle; additionally, the new genus exhibits high genetic divergence (10-12%) with respect to species allocated in the other bunocotylid genera. The species S. maurepasi was then transferred to the new genus as Parasaturnius maurepasi n. gen., n. comb. that was created to accommodate it, and was redescribed based on newly sampled specimens.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Stomachicola muraenesocis Yamaguti, 1934 (Digenea: Hemiuridae) from the daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål)

Hemiurid digeneans conspecific with Stomachicola muraenesocis Yamaguti, 1934 (the type species of the genus Stomachicola Yamaguti, 1934) were collected from the stomach of the daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål) off the Persian Gulf of Iran. This study aimed to provide a detailed characterization of Stom. muraenesocis, including measurements, illustrations and scanning electron microscopy (s.e.m.) representations. Comparisons with the original and previous descriptions revealed morphological and metrical variations in several features (i.e. body size and shape, arrangement of reproductive organs, soma to ecsoma length ratio, position of genital opening, number of vitelline tubules and extension of uterine coils) between Stom. muraenesocis from different hosts and localities. This study presents the first molecular sequence data associated with the small (18S) and large (28S) subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) for Stom. muraenesocis. Phylogenetic analyses of the 18S dataset placed Stom. muraenesocis as sister lineage to a clade formed of a group of species of Lecithaster Lühe, 1901 (Lecithasteridae Odhner, 1905). In contrast, phylogenetic analyses based on the 28S consistently recovered a sister relationship between Stom. muraenesocis and representatives of the Hemiuridae Looss, 1899. Further comprehensive phylogenetically based classification in light of morphology and taxonomic history of the Hemiuridae and Lecithasteridae is required to infer phylogenetic affinities and historical biogeography of Stomachicola. A comprehensive list of previously reported species of Stomachicola together with their associated hosts, localities and morphometric data is provided.

A new species of Siphoderina Manter, 1934 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) infecting the Dory Snapper Lutjanus fulviflamma (Teleostei: Lutjanidae) from the east coast of South Africa

Parasitological assessment of marine fishes at Sodwana Bay in the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area on the east coast of South Africa revealed a new species of cryptogonimid trematode infecting the pyloric caeca of the Dory Snapper, Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål) (Lutjanidae). The new species is morphologically consistent with the concept of the large genus Siphoderina Manter, 1934; its phylogenetic position within this genus was validated through molecular sequencing of the ITS2 and partial 28S ribosomal DNA sub-regions. We name this species Siphoderina nana n. sp. and comment on the current state of understanding for this genus of cryptogonimids.