Eutetrarhynchid cestodes from Atlantic and Mediterranean elasmobranch fishes, with the description of two new species of Dollfusiella Campbell & Beveridge, 1994 and redescriptions of Prochristianella papillifer (Poyarkoff, 1909) Dollfus, 1957 and Parachristianella trygonis Dollfus, 1946.

Abstract

Dollfusiella elongata n. sp. is described from the spiral valves of Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linnaeus) and R. cemiculus Geoffroy St-Hilaire off the coast of Tunisia, while D. aculeata n. sp. is described from the spiral valves of Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus) off the western coast of France, Dasyatis tortonesei Capape off the coast of Tunisia and Dasyatis chrysonota (Smith) var. marmorata off the coast of Senegal. A redescription of Dollfusiella spinifer (Dollfus, 1969) Campbell & Beveridge, 1994 is included based on the type-specimens from Myliobatis aquila (Linnaeus) from the Mediterranean coast of France. Prochristianella papillifer (Poyarkoff, 1909) Dollfus, 1957 is redescribed from specimens from Dasyatis pastinaca off Tunisia and the scolex and mature segments are described for the first time. Parachristianella trygonis Dollfus, 1946 is redescribed from Dasyatis pastinaca off the coast of France and Dasyatis tortonesei off Tunisia, with the mature and gravid segments being described for the first time. Parachristianella monomegacantha Kruse, 1959 is reported for the first time from the elasmobranchs Dasyatis pastinaca , Myliobatis aquila , Rhinobatos cemiculus and R. rhinobatos . Definitions of the related genera Dollfusiella Campbell & Beveridge, 1994 and Prochristianella Dollfus, 1946 are revised. Prochristianella spinulifera Beveridge & Jones, 2000 is transferred to Dollfusiella as D. spinulifera n. comb. New combinations proposed formally for the first time are: D. aetobati (Beveridge, 1990) n. comb., D. bareldsi (Beveridge, 1990) n. comb., D. lineata (Linton, 1909) n. comb., D. litocephalus (Heinz & Dailey, 1974) n. comb., D. macrotrachelus (Heinz & Dailey, 1974) n. comb., D. michiae (Southwell, 1929) n. comb., D. musteli (Carvajal, 1974) n. comb., D. schmidti (Heinz & Dailey, 1974) n. comb. and D. vooreemi (Sao Clemente & Gomes, 1989) n. comb. The type-specimens of Prochristianella tenuispinis (Linton, 1890) Dollfus, 1946 were re-examined and the species is transferred to Dollfusiella as D. tenuispinis (Linton, 1890) n. comb. Features of known species of Dollfusiella are presented in tabular form.