Some philometrid nematodes (Philometridae), including four new species of Philometra, from marine fishes off New Caledonia

Abstract

AbstractExaminations of marine fishes off New Caledonia, South Pacific, carried out in 2003–2006, yielded some nematodes of the genus Philometra Costa, 1845, including the following three new species: P. cyanopodi sp. nov. (males and subgravid females) and P. lethrini sp. nov. (males and subgravid females) from the gonads of Epinephelus cyanopodus (Richardson) (Serranidae) and Lethrinus genivittatus Valenciennes (Lethrinidae), respectively, and P. lagocephali sp. nov. (gravid female) from the abdominal cavity of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin) (Tetraodontidae). Another congeneric species P. fasciati sp. nov. from the gonads of Epinephelus fasciatus (Forsskål) (Serranidae), originally reported as P. lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935), has been established with reference to the description of males and a mature female published by Moravec and Justine (2005). The new species are characterized mainly by the length of spicules and the length and structure of the gubernaculum, structure of the male caudal end (except for P. lagocephali), body size, location in the host and by the types of hosts. In addition, Philometra sp. (subgravid females) from the gonads of Lutjanus vitta (Quoy et Gaimard) (Lutjanidae) and Philometra cf. ocularis Moravec et al., 2002 (gravid female) from the oculo-orbit of Epinephelus areolatus (Forsskål) were found, the latter representing a new host record.