Comparative Parasitology 67(2) 2000 - Peru State College

Table 1. Unidentified diplectanids infesting marine fishes off Kuwait.
Host
Acanthopagrus berda
(Forsskal, 1775)
(Sparidae)
Acanthopagrus bifaxciatus
(Forsskal, 1775)
(Sparidae)
Acanthopagrus latus
(Houttnyn, 1782)
(Sparidae)
Diplodus noct
(Valenciennes, 1830)
(Sparidae)
Epinephelus arcolatus
(Forsskal, 1775)
(Serranidae)
Epinephelus tauvina
(Forsskal, 1775)
(Serranidae)
Hemiramphus marginatus
(Forsskal, 1775)
(Hemiramphidae)
Otolithcs argenteus
(Cuvier, 1830)
(Sciaenidae)
Date of collection
30 November 1996
10 May 1995
10 October 1995
28 March 1995
23 March 1996
15 October 1994
29 July 1993
16 June 1993
15 October 1994
15 June 1993
10 March 1994
8 May 1995
18 October 1995
5 April 1996
15 October 1993
Sphyraena flavicauda Riippell, 1838 (Sphyraenidae):
Gulf of Aqaba (Golfe D'Aquaba [sic]),
Gulf of Suez (Egypt), Indian Ocean off Malindi
(Kenya) (all Oliver and Paperna, 1984).
SPECIMENS STUDIED: 12 voucher specimens
from S. jello, USNPC 89010, HWML 15023; 8
voucher specimens from S. obtusata, USNPC
89009.
REMARKS: Diplectanum cazauxi is known
only from species of barracuda (Sphyraenidae).
Our report of this species on 5. jello and S. obtusata
from the Persian Gulf represents new host
and geographic records. The known geographic
distribution of D. cazauxi currently includes the
western Indian Ocean and adjacent regions including
the northern gulfs of the Red Sea and
the Persian Gulf.
The original description of D. cazauxi is
based on morphometrics of the squamodisc and
sclerotized haptoral and copulatory structures.
Although Oliver and Paperna (1984) mentioned
that the ovary loops the right intestinal cecum,
a symplesiomorphic feature for all members of
the Diplectanidae, other details of the internal
anatomy were not considered. Our redescription
KRITSKY ET AL.—DIPLECTANIDS FROM KUWAIT 147
Parasite
Lamellodiscus sp. 1
Lamellodiscus sp. 2
Lamellodiscus sp. 1
Lamellodiscus sp. 3
Lamellodiscus sp. 4
Lamellodiscus sp. 5
Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 1
Pseudorhabdosynochus sp. 2
Lamellodiscus sp. 6
Diplectanum sp. 1
Diplectanurn sp. 2
USNPC no.
89011
89012
89013
89014
89015
89016
89017
89018
89019
89030
89029
89031
89034
89033
89035
89032
adds information on soft-tissue features of the
reproductive, digestive, and nervous systems.
The morphometrics of the haptoral sclerites
and squamodisc in our specimens are in general
agreement with those reported by Oliver and
Paperna (1984) in the original description of D.
cazauxi. Mounting media (Gray and Wess' medium,
Malmberg's medium, and Hoyer's medium)
commonly used to visualize the sclerites of
monogenoideans apply pressure on the specimen.
In D. cazauxi, this pressure results in significant
distortion of the lightly sclerotized male
copulatory organ. The copulatory organs of D.
cazauxi shown in Figure 11 of Oliver and Paperna
(1984) are clearly distorted, as were our
specimens mounted in Gray and Wess' medium.
Such artifacts are minimized when specimens
are mounted in Canada balsam, which does not
result in significant coverslip pressure on the
specimen (compare Fig. 4 with Fig. 11 of Oliver
and Paperna, 1984).
The copulatory complex, dorsal anchor, haptoral
bars, and squamodisc of Diplectanum cazauxi
closely resemble those of Laterocaecum
pearsoni Young, 1969, suggesting that these
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