First Records of Known Endoparasitic Species of Pseudempleurosoma Yamaguti, 1965 (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from Tetraodontid and Rachycentrid Fish Off the Northern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

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Monogenoideans infecting the rectum of the wild checkered puffer fish, Sphoeroides testudineus (Tetraodontidae), and the pyloric ceca of the cultured cobia, Rachycentron canadum (Rachycentridae), from the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were morphologically identified as Pseudempleurosoma carangis Yamaguti, 1965 and Pseudempleurosoma gibsoni Santos, Mourão and Cárdenas, 2001 (Dactylogyridae), respectively. Morphometric comparison between the paratypes of P. carangis and those from S. testudineus showed that the latter differ only in the length of the body, germarium, and dorsal anchors. Similarly, a small form of P. gibsoni based on body size was detected in the present study. These metric differences may be attributable to the host effect, i.e., S. testudineus/R. canadum versus Caranx lugubris (Carangidae) (type host of P. carangis) from Hawaii and Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Sciaenidae) (type host of P. gibsoni) from Brazil, or by the degree of maturity, or both. In view of these considerations, new illustrations and several supplemental observations for P. carangis and P. gibsoni are provided. The present findings also represent new geographical records, and new sites of infection, e.g., rectum and pyloric ceca, for species of Pseudempleurosoma, and the first known endoparasitic monogenoideans infecting tetraodontid and rachycentrid fishes in Mexico.