Prodistomum priedei n. sp. (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) from the deepwater cardinalfish Epigonus telescopus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) in the northern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Prodistomum priedei n. sp. is described from Epigonus telescopus from the Porcupine Seabight. It differs from its closest relatives, P. waltairensis, P. hynnodi and P. alaskensis (Ward & Fillingham, 1934) n. comb. [originally Opechona], in its relatively smaller ventral sucker and smaller eggs. Other differentiating features are tabulated. Attention is drawn to the host-parasite relationship associating a lepocreadiine lepocreadiid with a perciform host, a relationship which is common in warm shallow waters but unusual in cold deep-sea conditions. This may indicate that host and parasite have colonised the deep sea simultaneously and co-evolved in that environment.