Abstract
A new genus and three new species of blood flukes (Aporocotylidae) are described from squirrelfishes (Holocentridae) from the Great Barrier Reef. Holocentricola rufus n. gen., n. sp. is described from Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål), from off Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, and Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Holocentricola exilis n. sp. and Holocentricola coronatus n. sp. are described from off Lizard Island, H. exilis from Neoniphon sammara (Forsskål) and H. coronatus from Sargocentron diadema (Lacepède). Species of the new genus are distinct from those of all other aporocotylid genera in having a retort-shaped cirrus-sac with a distinct thickening at a marginal male genital pore. The new genus is further distinct in the combination of a lanceolate body, X-shaped caeca, posterior caeca that are longer than anterior caeca, a single, post-caecal testis that is not deeply lobed, a post-caecal, post-testis ovary that is not distinctly bi-lobed, and a post-ovarian uterus. The three new species can be morphologically delineated based on the size and row structure of the marginal spines, as well by total length, oesophagus and caecal lengths, and the position of the male genital pore, testes and ovary relative to the posterior extremity. The three species of Holocentricola are genetically distinct from each other based on cox1 mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA data, and in phylogenetic analyses of 28S rDNA form a well-supported clade sister to species of Neoparacardicola Yamaguti, 1970. This is the first report of aporocotylids from fishes of the family Holocentridae and the order Holocentriformes.
Highlights
Fishes of Heron and Lizard Islands, on the southern and northern Great Barrier Reef, respectively, have been the focus of extensive blood fluke research over the last two decades; thirty aporocotylid species have been reported from 14 teleost families from these locations
Six species of Holocentridae were examined for aporocotylids on the Great Barrier Reef: 30 Neoniphon sammara (Forsskål), 10 Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål), nine S. diadema (Lacepède), nine S. spiniferum (Forsskål), three Sargocentron caudimaculatum (Rüppell), and two S. rubrum from off Lizard Island; and 17 S. rubrum and one N. sammara from off Heron Island
Adult aporocotylids were collected from N. sammara and S. diadema off Lizard Island and from S. rubrum off Heron Island
Summary
Fishes of Heron and Lizard Islands, on the southern and northern Great Barrier Reef, respectively, have been the focus of extensive blood fluke research over the last two decades; thirty aporocotylid species have been reported from 14 teleost families from these locations. Nolan et al [39] later described two Cardicola species from Lizard Island, one from each a lutjanid and a scombrid, and Nolan et al [40] described a new species of Phthinomita from an apogonid. As part of another PhD study, Yong et al [70,71,72] described three species of Cardicola, one from each of an apogonid, balistid and chanid, and two species of Psettarium Goto & Ozaki, 1930 from tetraodontiforms. Recent blood fluke surveys at these locations have led to the re-collection of many of these known species [15], but examination of fish families not previously surveyed is revealing further aporocotylid richness in the region
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