Five new monogenean species from the gills of Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Perciformes: Mullidae) off New Caledonia, with the proposal of Volsellituba n. gen. and Pennulituba n. gen. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae)
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| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The perciform family Mullidae (goatfishes) includes 6 genera with about 60 known species, widely distributed in all tropical to warm-temperature seas. Although goatfishes represent one of the abundant groups of coral reef fishes, studies dealing with their dactylogyrid monogeneans are limited. To date, only 18 species of Haliotrema (Dactylogyridae), a genus that is currently considered as a polyphyletic taxon, have been reported on 23, and 2 unidentified, species of mullids. Recently, we have found several dactylogyrid species on the gills of Mulloidichthys vanicolensis collected off New Caledonia. Although the general features of internal anatomy of the found specimens corresponded to the generic diagnosis of Haliotrema, based on the outstanding features of the sclerotised haptoral structures and the copulatory organ, two new genera were proposed to accommodate 5 new species. Volsellituba n. gen. and Pennulituba n. gen. resemble dactylogyrid genera whose species lack eye spots and possess tandem or slightly overlapping gonads, single prostatic reservoir, a copulatory organ without an accessory piece, a dextroventral non-sclerotised vagina, ventral and dorsal anchor/bar complexes, and hooks with shanks comprising one slender unit. Volsellituba is characterised by species having ventral tegumental folds or an auxiliary vaginal structure at level of the vagina, a copulatory organ with subterminal base opening, and a two-pieced dorsal bar. The following new species of Volsellituba were described: V. orchidea n. sp. (type), V. nabla n. sp., and V. elephantina n. sp. Pennulituba is distinguished by species possessing a copulatory organ with wing-shaped membrane and a dorsal bar with poorly to non-sclerotised medial part. The genus includes Pennulituba piratifalx n. sp. (type) and P. cymansis n. sp. |
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