New species and new records of camallanid nematodes (Nematoda, Camallanidae) from marine fishes and sea snakes in New Caledonia.

Recent examinations of camallanid nematodes (Camallanidae) from marine fishes off New Caledonia, collected in the years 2003-2011, revealed the presence of the following five new species of Procamallanus Baylis, 1923, all belonging to the subgenus Spirocamallanus Olsen, 1952: Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) dispar n. sp. from the common ponyfish Leiognathus equulus (type host) and the striped ponyfish Aurigequula fasciata (both Leiognathidae, Perciformes); Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) bothi n. sp. from the leopard flounder Bothus pantherinus (Bothidae, Pleuronectiformes); Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) hexophtalmatis n. sp. from the speckled sandperch Parapercis hexophtalma (Pinguipedidae, Perciformes); Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) synodi n. sp. from the sand lizardfish Synodus dermatogenys (Synodontidae, Aulopiformes); and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) thalassomatis n. sp. from the yellow-brown wrasse Thalassoma lutescens (Labridae, Perciformes). These are described based on light and scanning electron microscopical (SEM) studies. An additional three congeneric nematodes unidentifiable to species are reported from perciform fishes and a shark: Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3 of Moravec et al., 2006, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 1, and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 2. Ten fish species are recorded as new hosts for Camallanus carangis Olsen, 1954. Two camallanids, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3 (subgravid female) and Camallanus carangis (fourth-stage larva) were also found in the digestive tract of the New Caledonian sea krait Laticauda saintgironsi, serving apparently as postcyclic and paratenic hosts, respectively, for these fish nematodes.

TITLE: Nouvelles espèces et nouveaux signalements de nématodes camallanidés (Nematoda, Camallanidae) provenant de poissons marins et de serpents de mer en Nouvelle-Calédonie. ABSTRACT: L'étude récente de nématodes camallanidés (Camallanidae) de poissons marins capturés au large de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, recueillis de 2003 à 2011, a révélé la présence des cinq nouvelles espèces suivantes de Procamallanus Baylis, 1923, toutes appartenant au sous-genre Spirocamallanus Olsen, 1952 : Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) dispar n. sp. de Leiognathus equulus (hôte-type) et de Aurigequula fasciata (tous deux Leiognathidae, Perciformes) ; Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) bothi n. sp. de Bothus pantherinus (Bothidae, Pleuronectiformes) ; Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) hexophtalmatis n. sp. de Parapercis hexophtalma (Pinguipedidae, Perciformes) ; Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) synodi n. sp. de Synodus dermatogenys (Synodontidae, Aulopiformes) ; et Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) thalassomatis n. sp. de Thalassoma lutescens (Labridae, Perciformes). Ces espèces sont décrites sur la base d'études réalisées au microscope électronique à balayage et au microscope photonique. Trois autres nématodes congénères non identifiables au niveau spécifique sont signalés chez des poissons perciformes et un requin : Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3 de Moravec et al., 2006, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 1 et Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 2. Dix espèces de poissons sont rapportées comme nouveaux hôtes pour Camallanus carangis Olsen, 1954. Deux camallanidés, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) sp. 3 (femelles subgravides) et Camallanus carangis (larve du quatrième stade) ont également été trouvés dans le tube digestif du serpent marin de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Laticauda saintgironsi, qui semble servir respectivement d'hôte post-cyclique et d'hôte paraténique pour ces nématodes de poissons.

A new species of camallanidae from Ageneiosus ucayalensis (Pisces: Siluriformes) from Pará State, Brazil.

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) belenensis n. sp. is described using light and scanning electron microcopy, based on specimens taken from Ageneiosus ucayalensis, Castelnau, 1855 (Pisces: Siluriforme), a freshwater fish commonly called mandubé, in Pard State, Brazil; Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) rarus is recorded from the same host. To our knowledge there are no previous reports of nematodes from this fish species. Procamallanus (S.) belenensis is characterized by the presence of 8-13 cuticular spiral thickenings coating 2/3 of posterior region of the buccal capsule of males and females (the anterior third is smooth); small sub-equal spicules; 3 and 4-5 pairs of pre- and post-cloacal papillae, respectively; the proportion of muscular and glandular esophagus is 1:1.5-2; males present 2 spike-like projections at the tail tip, which are absent in females by light microscopy. The most closely related species are Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pintoi. The new species differs from the most closely related species by the presence of 8-10 cuticular spiral thickenings in the buccal capsule of males and 9-13 in the females, 8 pairs of male clocal papillae (3 pre- and 5 post-cloacal, respectively), and only males bearing 2 minute, spike-like projections at the posterior end.

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) anguillae sp. n. (Camallanidae) and some other nematodes from the Indonesian shortfin eel Anguilla bicolor in Thailand.

A new species of parasitic nematode, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) anguillae sp. n. (family Camallanidae), is described based on specimens recovered from the intestine of the Indonesian eel Anguilla bicolor McClelland (type host) from southern Thailand (type locality Phuket Island). It is characterized mainly by the presence of 10-13 spiral ridges in the buccal capsule, length of spicules (366-372 microm and 198-216 microm), presence of a gubernaculum, arrangement of caudal papillae, and by the broad female tail with a digit-like projection bearing two cuticular spikes. In addition, two species of larval nematodes, Physalopteridae gen. sp. and Anisakis cf. simplex (Rudolphi 1809), were recorded from A. bicolor. All species are briefly described and illustrated.

Ultrastructure of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) halitrophus (Nematoda: Camallanidae) parasite of flounder.

The ultrastructure of the camallanid nematode Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) halitrophus, a parasite of flounder, is described for the first time by the use of transmission electron microscopy. The body wall is composed of an outer cuticle, a hypodermis, and a muscular layer. The cuticle comprises the epicuticle, the cortical, median, fibrous, and basal layers. The cortical layer is subdivided into an outer zone and an inner zone; the median layer is subdivided into an outer layer, rich in electrondense fibrils, and an inner layer, which does not contain these fibrils; the fibrous layer is subdivided into three regions delimited by electrondense lines; the basal layer presents electrondense sustaining structures. Underlying the basal layer is the hypodermis where many organelles are observed. The musculature is striated, and each muscle cell consists of individualized contractile and non-contractile regions. Inclusion bodies are present in the muscle fibers, hypodermis, hypodermal chord, and in the intestine.

Redescription of Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 (Nematoda: Camallanidae) and its first record from fishes in China.

The nematode Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 is redescribed from specimens collected from the intestine of the bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis, from Liangzihu Lake (Yangtze River basin), Hubei Province, central China. The light and scanning electron microscopical examination made it possible to study in detail the morphology of this so far little-known species and to confirm its validity. The main specific features of C. hypophthalmichthys distinguishing it from the most similar Camallanus spp. is the presence of 3 small caudal processes on the male tail tip, 13-16 longitudinal ridges on the inner surface of the valve of the buccal capsule, and the arrangement of preanal and postanal genital papillae in the male. This finding represents a new host record, the first record of this parasite in the Yangtze River basin, and the first documented record of C. hypophthalmichthys from China. Camallanus hypophthalmichthys is considered a specific intestinal parasite of fishes of the cyprinid Hypophthalmichthyinae.

Pathobiology associated with the spiruroid nematodes Camallanus oxycephalus and Spinitectus carolini in the intestine of green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus.

The histopathology induced by Camallanus oxycephalus and Spinitectus carolini in the intestine of green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus was examined. At what is assumed to be more recent attachment sites, penetration of C. oxycephalus was restricted to the mucosal layer, causing complete destruction of the columnar epithelium. At what appeared to be older attachment sites, the parasite penetrated deep into the intestinal wall, even to the circular muscle layer. At these sites of attachment, there were flask-shaped ulcers in the mucosal and submucosal layers. Surrounding the ulcers, there was granulomatous tissue, with extensive fibrosis at the surface; the fibrosis probably reduced the loss of body fluids and blood cells from the intestinal wall. The number of goblet cells in the posterior end of the intestine increased significantly, from 92.6 cells/mm in uninfected fish to 168.4 cells/mm in fish infected with more than 5 C. oxycephalus. Adult S. carolini also causes severe damage to the intestinal wall of green sunfish. Parasite penetration was not limited to the mucosal layer. Mature worms were observed invading both the muscular and serosal layers. Penetration by the parasite was usually associated with the local loss of columnar epithelium and infiltration by lymphocytes and granulocytic leukocytes. Fibrosis in the mucosal layer was commonly observed. There was goblet cell hyperplasia in the anterior portion of the intestine, with numbers of goblet cells increasing from 64.4 cells/mm in uninfected fish to 95.0 cells/mm in heavily infected fish.