Six species of nonmazocraeid monogeneans including two new species from clupeiform fishes of Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal.

ABSTRACT

During a survey on monogenean parasites of clupeiform fishes of Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal, apart from typical mazocraeids, 6 species of nonmazocraeids, including two new species were encountered. These belonged to 5 genera distributed over 4 families Family Gastrocotylidae Engraulicola thrissocles from Thryssa mystax, T. setirostris, T. malabarica; Engraulicola longisomum n.sp. from Thryssa mystax, T. setirostris, T. malabarica; Pellonicola elongatus from Ilisha filigera; family Megamicrocotylidae Megamicrocotyle chirocentrus from Chirocentrus dorab; family Microcotylidae Microcotyle clupei n.sp. from Thryssa mystax and T. setirostris; family Diclidophoridae Keralina opisthopterus from Opisthopterus tardoore. Engraulicola longisomum n. sp. differs from E. thrissocles in the larger body size, in the relatively smaller size of haptor and also in the number of clamps and alignment of reproductive organs. Microcotyle clupei n.sp. the first species of the genus to be reported from clupeiform fishes differs from other species of the genus, mainly in the presence of a circlet of spines on the oral sucker. Descriptions are provided for all the species collected. Megamicrocotyle johnstoni is synonymized with M. chirocentrus.