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Journal of Parasitic Diseases: June 2006, Vol. 30, No. 1, 81–84J P DChelatrema neilgherriensis n. sp. (Trematoda:Gorgoderidae) infecting the freshwater fishes fromNoolpuzha river in Wynad district, Kerala, IndiaK. T. Manjula and K. P. JanardananDepartment of Zoology, University of Calicut, Calicut.ABSTRACT. A new species of digenetic trematode Chelatrema neilgherriensis (Gorgoderidae) wasrecovered from the freshwater fishes Danio neilgherriensis and Labeo rohita, collected fromNoolpuzha river in Wynad district, Kerala. Herein, we have described this new species in detail,discussed its systematic position and have compared it with the only other species in the genus C.smythi Gupta and Kumari, 1973. We found C. neilgherriensis n. sp. to be different from C. smythi inbody measurements, size of oral and ventral suckers, sucker ratio, extent of uterine coils, nature oftestes and seminal vesicle, and shape and size of eggs. Apparently, this first study reports a secondspecies of the genus Chelatrema, a gorgoderid from Kerala.Keywords: Chelatrema, Gorgoderidae, Kerala, trematodaINTRODUCTIONthe only species in the genus Chelatrema, and isreported here as a new species. This forms the secondThe genus Chelatrema was erected by Gupta andspecies of the genus Chelatrema and the first report ofKumari (1973) with C. smythi as the type speciesa gorgoderid from Kerala.which infect the freshwater fish, Chela bacala (Ham.)from Satluj River at Ropar, Punjab, India. The authors MATERIALS AND METHODSincluded the genus under the subfamily ArnolinaeYamaguti, 1958 of the family Hemiuridae Luhe, 1901.The fresh water fishes Danio neilgherriensis (Day,But Gibson and Bray (1979) stated that it is not an=16) and Labeo rohita (Hamilton, n=6), collectedhemiurid, and Gibson (2002) considered it as afrom Noolpuzha river in Wynad district of Kerala,gorgoderid.from April 2004 to May 2005, were examined fortrematode infections. The flukes recovered from theDuring an explorative study on the trematode fauna of intestine of D. neilgherriensis and the intestine andfreshwater fishes in the hill streams of Wynad district body cavity of L. rohita were observed under phase-in Kerala, we came across a species of Chelatrema in contrast microscope, with or without vital staining.Danio neilgherriensis and Labeo rohita , collected Those used for permanent preparations were fixed forfrom Noolpuzha river. Detailed studies proved that approximately 1 h in 10% formalin under cover glassthe trematode is significantly different from C. smythi,pressure at room temperature, and stained with alumcarmine as described by Cantwell (1981). TheCorresponding author: Dr. K. P. Janardanan, Department ofZoology, University of Calicut, Calicut-673 635, Kerala, India.E-mail: kpjanardanan@yahoo.co.indescriptions are based on 20 whole mounts, andmeasurements of 10 mature flukes fixed in 10%formalin. Measurements are presented in