Desmogonius baldassinae n. sp. (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) collected in a green sea turtle-Chelonia mydas-from Brazil.

The genus Desmogonius (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) is known only from sea turtles and currently contains two species: D. desmogonius Stephens, 1911 and D. loossi Chattopadhyaya, 1972. The present study describes a third species, Desmogonius baldassinae n. sp. found in a juvenile green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) from Brazil. The new species is larger than its congeners in all dimensions, with vitellinic fields ending posterior to the ovary. In addition, we present a key for species identification and an emended diagnosis of the genus Desmogonius.

Pronocephaloid cercariae (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) from gastropods of the Queensland coast, Australia.

The superfamily Pronocephaloidea Looss, 1899 comprises digeneans occurring in the gut and respiratory organs of fishes, turtles, marine iguanas, birds and mammals. Although many life cycles are known for species of the Notocotylidae Lühe, 1909 maturing in birds and mammals, relatively few are known for the remaining pronocephaloid lineages. We report the cercariae of five pronocephaloid species from marine gastropods of the Queensland coast, Australia. From Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, we report three cercariae, two from Rhinoclavis vertagus (Cerithiidae) and one from Nassarius coronatus (Nassariidae). From Moreton Bay, southern Queensland, an additional two cercariae are reported from two genotypes of the gastropod worm shell Thylacodes sp. (Vermetidae). Phylogenetic analysis using 28S rRNA gene sequences shows all five species are nested within the Pronocephaloidea, but not matching or particularly close to any previously sequenced taxon. In combination, phylogenetic and ecological evidence suggests that most of these species will prove to be pronocephalids parasitic in marine turtles. The Vermetidae is a new host family for the Pronocephaloidea.

First Report of Pyelosomum Cochlear Looss 1899 (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) in a Hawksbill Turtle - Eretmochelys Imbricata L. Found in Brazilian Coast.

Pyelosomum cochlear Looss 1899 (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) is a parasite exclusive to sea turtles, having been described in the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Egypt, the USA, Panama, Costa Rica and Brazil as well as the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Brazil. The present note describes the first occurrence of P. cochlear in a hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) found on the coast of Brazil.

GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF DIASCHISTORCHIS PANDUS (DIGENEA: PRONOCEPHALIDAE) TREMATODES EXTRACTED FROM HAWKSBILL TURTLES, ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA (TESTUDINES: CHELONIIDAE), IN GRENADA, WEST INDIES.

The hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata is a critically endangered species with a worldwide distribution. Limited information is available about the naturally occurring intestinal parasites of this species and what impact these parasites may have on the health of the hawksbill turtle. Diaschistorchis pandus was identified postmortem in 5 hawksbill turtles from Grenada, West Indies, using morphologic characterization. Sanger sequencing was performed for conserved ribosomal regions (5.8S, ITS2, 28S) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI). Phylogenetic analysis of the 28S rRNA gene sequence data shows D. pandus clustering with other trematodes in the family Pronocephalidae, corroborating morphological classification. No genetic sequences have been previously reported for this trematode species, which has limited the collection of objective epidemiological data about this parasite of marine turtles.