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Ergasilus tipurus n. sp. (Copepoda: Ergasilidae), A Parasite of Brazilian Amazon Fish Species

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Abstract

Introduction

Copepods are common components in all types of fish assemblages, being present in fishes of all ecosystems. The Ergasilidae Burmeister, 1835 is one of the biggest families in the order Cyclopoida Burmeister, 1834, with the majority of species found on freshwater fishes.

Material and methods

Ergasilus tipurus n. sp. is described from the nasal fossae of Calophysus macropterus and Sorubim lima captured in the rivers Guaporé and Mamoré in the State of Rondônia, Brazil, and from the nasal fossae and the gills of Rhaphiodon vulpinus collected from floodplain lakes of the Solimões River in the State of Amazonas, Brazil.

Results

The new species differs from all known species of Ergasilus from Brazilian waters by: (1) antennule setal formula 3:7:3:4:2:5; (2), having three-segmented first endopod of leg I; and (3) having leg V with a single well-developed segment with one middle distal setae, two distal setae placed laterally and two basal papillae, each provided with a simple seta.

Discussion

From all Ergasilus species described in the neotropics, this is the first species that can be found parasitizing the gills and nasal fossae of the reported hosts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the Laboratorio de Parasitologia de Peixes (LPP) of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia—INPA). GAMM received a post-doctoral scholarship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Laboratório de Parasitologia e Patologia de Peixes, Av. André Araújo, 2936-Petrópolis, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil

    Angela Maria Bezerra Varella & José Celso de Oliveira Malta

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, Laboratorio de Parasitología y Sanidad Acuícola, Av. José A. Quiñones, Km 2.5-San Juan Bautista, Iquitos, 0784, Loreto, Peru

    Germán Augusto Murrieta Morey

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  1. Angela Maria Bezerra Varella
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  2. Germán Augusto Murrieta Morey
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  3. José Celso de Oliveira Malta
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Correspondence to Germán Augusto Murrieta Morey.

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Varella, A.M.B., Morey, G.A.M. & de Oliveira Malta, J.C. Ergasilus tipurus n. sp. (Copepoda: Ergasilidae), A Parasite of Brazilian Amazon Fish Species. Acta Parasit. 64, 187–194 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-018-00020-w

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