FOLIA PARASITOLOGICA 53: 181–188, 2006 Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from the Malabar grouper Epinephelus malabaricus (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia Rodney A. Bray1 and Jean-Lou Justine2 1 Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; 2 Équipe Biogéographie Marine Tropicale, Unité Systématique, Adaptation, Évolution (CNRS, UPMC, MNHN, IRD), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, BP A5, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, Nouvelle Calédonie Key words: Digenea, Bucephalidae, Prosorhynchus, Serranidae, Epinephelus, New Caledonia Abstract. A new species, Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n., is described from the serranid fish Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch et Schneider) in the waters off New Caledonia. It belongs to a group of Prosorhynchus species from serranids in which the uterus is restricted to the postovarian region. Its distinguishing features include the vitellarium relatively distant from the rhynchus, the cirrus-sac relatively distant from the posterior testis, the distinctly pre-equatorial mouth and several other somatic ratios. New records of Prosorhynchus longisaccatus Durio et Manter, 1968 from Epinephelus cyanopodus (Richardson) and Prosorhynchoides lamprelli Bott et Cribb, 2005 from Caranx papuensis Alleyne et Macleay off New Caledonia are also included. There are over 70 named species of Prosorhynchus Odhner, 1905, about 60 of which are marine and about 10 are from freshwaters of China (e.g. Pan 1988), southeastern Asia (Moravec and Sey 1989) and south America (e.g. Thatcher 1999). As pointed out by Cribb et al. (2002), 13 of the marine species are found in members of the fish family Serranidae, particularly in the subfamily Epinephelinae. Some hosts were not fully identified and Cribb et al. (2002) did not consider the parasites from these. We have detected some 16 species reported in what are definitively or probably epinephelines. These are P. atlanticus Manter, 1940, P. bulbosus Kohn, 1961, P. caudovatus Manter, 1940, P. chorinemi Yamaguti, 1952, P. epinepheli Yamaguti, 1939, P. freitasi Nagaty, 1937, P. gonoderus Manter, 1940, P. jupe (Kohn, 1967), P. longisaccatus Durio et Manter, 1968, P. mcintoshi (Velasquez, 1959), P. ozakii Manter, 1934, P. pacificus Manter, 1940, P. platycephali (Yamaguti, 1934), P. promicropsi Manter, 1940, P. serrani Durio et Manter, 1968, and P. thapari Manter, 1953 (Manter 1934, 1940a, b, 1953, Yamaguti 1934, 1939, 1952, Nagaty 1937, Velasquez 1959, Kohn 1961, 1967, Durio and Manter 1968). Most of these species have been reported from individual host species or a few closely related hosts. Some, such as P. chorinemi and P. platycephali, were originally reported from other host groups. In this study we describe a new species from an epinepheline in the waters of the Coral Sea off New Caledonia. It is clearly related to a group of species from related hosts, but has a suite of distinctive features. Seven species of bucephalids are known from the waters around New Caledonia. Durio and Manter (1968) reported Myorhynchus pritchardae Durio et Manter, 1968 from an unknown serranid, Neidhartia coronata Durio et Manter, 1968 from Epinephelus sp., Prosorhynchus freitasi from Epinephelus sp., P. longisaccatus from an unknown serranid and Prosorhynchus serrani from the yellow-edged lyretail Variola louti (Forsskål). We (new record) have found Prosorhynchoides lamprelli Bott et Cribb, 2005 (see below). The seventh species is that described below. MATERIALS AND METHODS A large wounded E. malabaricus (local name “mère loche”) was noticed by divers off Nouméa, New Caledonia. The wound affected all the upper jaw and prevented the fish from eating; it was decided to kill the animal and use it for parasitological research. The fish was spear fished and immediately brought back to the laboratory, photographed and measured (fork length 1,280 mm, weight 45 kg). As predicted from the wound, the digestive tract was empty of food. Digeneans were collected alive, immediately fixed in hot seawater then transferred to ethanol. Whole-mounts were stained with Mayer’s paracarmine, cleared in beechwood creosote and mounted in Canada balsam. Measurements were made through a drawing tube on an Olympus BH-2 microscope, using a Digicad Plus digitising tablet and Carl Zeiss KS100 software adapted by Imaging Associates, and are quoted in micrometres, with the range and the mean in parentheses (Table 1). The following abbreviations are used: BMNH, the British Museum (Natural History) Collection at the Natural History Museum, London, UK; IPASCR, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budĕjovice; MNHN, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris; USNPC, United States National Parasite Collection, Beltsville. Address for correspondence: R.A. Bray, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. Phone: ++44 207 9425 563; Fax: ++44 207 945 151; E-mail: rab@nhm.ac.uk 181 For purposes of comparison, various measurements and ratios were extracted from the literature. Where measurements were available, the range of ratios were estimated by dividing the shortest measurement of the organ in question by the shortest body length and the similarly for the longest measurements of organ and body length. Some measurements were estimated from those illustrations with scale bars and ratios estimated from these or directly from the illustrations. RESULTS Family B u c e p h a l i d a e Poche Subfamily P r o s o r h y n c h i n a e Nicoll Genus Prosorhynchus Odhner Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. Figs. 1–4 Description (based on 8 whole-mount preparations). Measurements and ratios in Table 1. Body elongate, widest at level of anterior part of vitellarium, distinctly narrowing immediately posterior to widest part of rhynchus (Figs. 1, 2). Tegument spinous; spines squamous, tiny, reach to posterior extremity. Rhynchus elongate, with about 5–6 muscular lobes around anterior rim, narrows posteriorly, strongly muscular, with patches of embedded gland-cells (Fig. 3). Mouth at level of ovary and/or anterior testis, well inside anterior half of body. Pharynx globular. Caecum oval, reaching anteriorly to level of anterior part of vitellarium. Testes 2, oval, in posterior part of anterior half of body, slightly separated, contiguous or slightly overlapping. Cirrus-sac elongate, parallel sided, never reaching posterior testis. Seminal vesicle large, elongate-oval, in proximal cirrus-sac. Pars prostatica long, in 2 distinct parts; proximal part (seminal duct) coiled at level of seminal vesicle, with few gland-cells; distal part, wider, straight, surrounded by dense layer of gland-cells, lining of 2 types, proximal region lined with anuclear cell-like bodies, distal region lined with filaments in chevron arrangement pointing distally (Fig. 4). Ejaculatory duct narrow, short, opening on knobbly genital lobe, inside genital atrium. Genital atrium large. Genital pore distinctly separated from posterior extremity; in one case spermatophore seen extruded through pore (Fig. 1). Ovary oval, mainly antero-lateral to anterior testis (6 specimens), may be lateral (1) or postero-lateral (1) to anterior testis. Uterine seminal vesicle just posterior to ovary. Laurer’s canal not seen. Uterus fills most of postovarian region, does not reach anteriorly beyond ovary. Eggs numerous, tanned, operculate. Metraterm not detected, obscured by eggs. Vitellarium consists of 2 lateral fields of follicles, usually symmetrical (Fig. 2), or with one field offset (Fig. 1), anterior extremity distinctly posterior to rhynchus, but always anterior to caecum, gonads and uterus; posterior extremity at about level of posterior testis. Excretory pore terminal; anterior extent of vesicle obscured by eggs. 182 T y p e h o s t : Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch et Schneider), Serranidae, Malabar grouper. S i t e : Intestine. T y p e l o c a l i t y : Nouméa, off Ouen Toro, New Caledonia (22°19’S, 166°27’E, 18.v.2005). P r e v a l e n c e : 1/1. I n t e n s i t y : 8. D e p o s i t i o n o f s p e c i m e n s : holotype MNHN JNC1536D 01, paratypes, MNHN1536D 02–04, BMNH 2006.4.27.14–16. IPASCR D-596. E t y m o l o g y : This refers to the local name of the host, “mère loche” or mother grouper, probably referring to the fact that it is large enough to be the mother of all groupers. Remarks. Cribb et al. (2002) reckoned that there were 13 species of Prosorhynchus reported from epinepheline serranids and this figure now stands at 16 (see above). Prosorhynchus maternus belongs to a group of species which share the character of the uterus being restricted to the post-ovarian region, a relatively unusual feature in this genus. Other members of this group are P. atlanticus Manter, 1940, P. bulbosus Kohn, 1961, P. gonoderus Manter, 1940, P. longicollis Yamaguti, 1953, P. mcintoshi (Velasquez, 1959), P. pacificus Manter, 1940 and P. promicropsi Manter, 1940. Of parasites of non-epinephelines only P. mizellei Kruse, 1977 from the smooth lumpsucker, the cyclopterid Aptocyclus ventricosus (Pallas), in the Bering Sea and P. kahala Yamaguti, 1970 from the great amberjack, the carangid Seriola dumerili (Risso) have this character (Yamaguti 1970, Kruse 1977). The only species so far reported from Epinephelus malabaricus is P. pacificus (or its putative synonym P. atlanticus). These records are by Hafeezullah and Siddiqi (1970) from Karwar, India and Leong and Wong (1988, 1990) from juvenile E. malabaricus imported from the Philippines for culture in Malaysia. The present form is close to P. pacificus, which was originally described by Manter (1940a) from the epinephelines, the sailfin grouper Mycteroperca olfax Jenyns and the broomtail grouper M. xenarcha Jordan, along with unidentified groupers, off various Galapagos Islands. Having examined USNPC slide No. 9326 labelled ‘type’, which bears three specimens, two of which are measurable (see Table 1), we consider that P. maternus differs from P. pacificus in the following features (see Table 1). The mouth is relatively further anterior, the vitellarium and caecum are also relatively closer to the anterior extremity and the testes are relatively further from the posterior extremity. The rhynchus is relatively smaller. The cirrus-sac is relatively smaller and never reaches even close to the posterior testis, whereas in P. pacificus the cirrus-sac overlaps the posterior testis in 68% of the specimens (Manter 1940a) and in two of the three specimens on the ‘type’ slide. In the one specimen where the cirrus-sac does not reach the posterior testis, it is very close (Table 1). Hafeezullah and Siddiqi (1970) gave an illustration of the worm they found in Bray, Justine: Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. Figs. 1–4. Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. Fig. 1. Holotype, ventral view, uterus in bold outline and treated as transparent, cirrussac in outline, note spermatophore. Fig. 2. Paratype, ventral view, uterus in bold outline and treated as transparent, cirrus-sac in outline. Fig. 3. Rhynchus, showing embedded gland-cells. Fig. 4. Cirrus-sac and genital atrium, with egg in atrium. Scale bars: Figs. 1, 2 = 500 µm; Figs. 3, 4 = 100 µm. E. malabaricus and called P. atlanticus, and some data can be gleaned from it (Table 1). It appears more similar to our specimens than does the original description of the species. Winter (1960) described P. pacificus from the spotted grouper Epinephelus analogus Gill from the Pacific Ocean off Sinaloa, Mexico. The illustration is in the form of a microphotograph which gives no useful information, but the description is quite detailed and suggests that this form differs from P. maternus in its more posterior mouth, larger cirrus-sac and larger eggs (Table 1). All the above descriptions give a greater relative width than in P. maternus, but this may be due in most cases to flattening. 183 Table 1. Measurements of various Prosorhynchus species. Major ratios and some measurements differentiating worms from P. maternus sp. n. are emboldened. Measurements and ratios estimated from published dimensions or illustrations are in brackets. Species Source P. maternus sp. n. Present study Host(s) Epinephelus malabaricus New Caledonia Locality n Length Width Pre–vitelline distance Pre-caecal distance Pre-uterine distance Pre-mouth distance Pre-testicular distance Pre-ovarian distance Rhynchus Rhynchus to vitellarium Rhynchus to uterus Rhynchus to caecum Long vitelline field Number of follicles in above Short vitelline field Number of follicles in above Caecum Pharynx Ovary Ovary to anterior testis Anterior testis Distance between testes Posterior testis Posterior testis to cirrus-sac Cirrus-sac Seminal vesicle Pars prostatica Post-testicular region Post-vitelline region Anterior extremity of cirrus-sac to posterior extremity (AECSPE) Post-ovarian region Genital pore to posterior extremity Post-uterine region Eggs Width%* Pre-vitelline distance%* Pre-caecal distance%* Pre-uterine distance%* 184 8 2,052–2,227 (2,142) 392–476 (438) 409–477 (441) 497–604 (552) 739–922 (818) 788–870 (833) 665–816 (745) 633–762 (712) 280–360 × 189– 243 (317 × 219) 77–186 (125) 386–641 (510) 142–330 (243) 475–606 (545) 14–17 (15.5) 360–512 (445) 12–15 (13.1) 202–231 × 134– 178 (214 × 152) 58–101 × 69– 100 (80 × 87) 127–153 × 98– 131 (140 × 118) 0–12 (2) 152–188 × 124– 160 (172 × 147) 0–114 (49) 152–191 × 117– 148 (166 × 131) 230–363 (281) 468–541 × 91– 116 (499 × 102) 198–275 × 61– 88 (233 × 72) 181–291 × 49– 90 (222 × 65) 982–1,143 (1,045) 1,022–1,203 (1,110) 695–837 (775) P. pacificus USNPC 9326, types Mycteroperca olfax Albemarle Is., Galapagos 2 1,232–1,359 350–367 313–414 366–450 509–631 590–624 427–623 421–562 239–242 × 211–211 98–180 277–396 126–212 252–342 13–14 233–245 13–15 99–125 × 142–199 56–69 × 61–62 96–98 × 119–129 0 104–107 × 141–151 0–30 83–100 × 149–159 0–37 428–464 × 114–118 150–212 × 30–41 244–245 × 63–64 512–605 606–671 591–595 P. atlanticus Hafeezullah and Siddiqi (1970) Epinephelus malabaricus off Karwar, India [1] [1,359] [335] [388] [441] [741] [653] [565] [441] [208 × 157] P. pacificus Winter (1960) [530] [627] [420] 929–1,075 1,190–1,374 (1,267) 198–288 (230) 105–161 (128) 27–28 × 14– 22 (28 × 19) 17.7–22.2 (20.4) 18.8–23.2 (20.6) 23.1–28.0 (25.8) 34.4–41.4 (38.2) 693–721 96–178 66–98 28–31 × 15–16 25.8–29.8 25.8–30.5 29.7–33.1 41.3–46.4 [759] [122] 234–279 Epinephelus analogus off Pacific coast, Mexico 5 1,554–1,887 459–592 281–444 757–808 [259–278 × 210–292] [173] [547] [238] [327] 407–422 [300] 296–392 [194 × 106] 252–296 × 206–275 69–103 diam. [62 × 62] [86 × 86] 112–138 × 105–120 [0] [132 × 106] 177–188 × 138 [39] [122 × 106] 189 × 138 [124] [309 × 53] 482–671 × 102–129 [106 × ?] [168 × 53] [24.7] [28.6] [32.5] [54.5] 29–33 × 19–20 [29.5–31.4] [18.1–23.5] Bray, Justine: Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. Table 1. Continued. Pre-mouth distance%* Pre-testicular distance%* Pre-ovarian distance%* Rhynchus length%* Rhynchus width as % rhynchus length Long vitelline field%* Caecal length%* Ovary length%* Anterior testis length%* Distance between testes%* Posterior testis length%* Posterior testis to cirrus-sac%* Cirrus-sac length%* Seminal vesicle length as % of cirrus-sac length Post-testicular region%* Post-vitelline region%* AECSPE%* Post-ovarian region%* Genital pore to posterior extremity%* Post-uterine region%* 37.7–39.6 (38.6) 30.6–38.0 (34.8) 29.4–35.1 (33.3) 12.6–16.7 (14.8) 65.2–85.7 (69.5) 45.9–47.9 34.7–45.8 34.2–41.3 17.8–19.4 87.0–88.3 [48.1] [41.6] [32.5] [15.3] [75.5] 22.0–28.2 (25.5) 9.32–10.5 (10.0) 5.83–7.27 (6.54) 7.29–8.68 (8.02) 0–5.24 (2.30) 7.07–9.19 (7.75) 10.3–16.9 (13.1) 21.6–24.5 (23.3) 37.7–58.8 (46.9) 18.5–27.7 7.31–10.2 7.08–7.93 7.65–8.65 0–2.23 6.72–7.37 0–3.01 31.5–37.7 35.0–45.8 [24.1] [14.3] [6.33] [9.71] [2.87] [8.98] [9.12] [22.7] [34.3] 45.2–53.1 (48.8) 48.8–55.4 (51.8) 32.4–39.0 (36.2) 56.9–63.9 (59.2) 9.17–13.8 (10.8) 37.6–49.1 49.2–49.4 43.8–48.0 51.0–58.5 7.80–13.1 [39.0] [46.1] [30.9] [55.8] [8.98] 4.75–7.49 (5.97) 4.84–7.98 [48.7–42.8] [16.6–14.7] [75.5–105] [26.2–22.4] [16.2–15.7] [7.21–7.31] [11.4–9.96] [31.0–35.6] [59.8–57.0] [15.1–18.0] * as % of body-length Table 1. Continued. Species Source Host(s) Locality n Length Width Pre-vitelline distance Pre-caecal distance Pre-uterine distance Pre-mouth distance Pre-testicular distance Pre-ovarian distance Rhynchus Rhynchus to vitellarium Rhynchus to uterus Rhynchus to caecum Long vitelline field Number of follicles in above Short vitelline field Number of follicles in above Caecum Pharynx P. atlanticus USNPC 36711, types Mycteroperca bonaci Dry Tortugas, Florida 3 996–1,047 (1,027) 282–325 (301) 234–265 (254) 302–355 (329) 362–500 (410) 467–503 (485) 399–471 (430) 383–421 (397) 241–265 × 175– 233 (253 × 201) 0–8 (3) 112–253 (169) 69–115 (169) 222–272 (242) 10–14 (12.3) 165–230 (199) 11–13 (12) 84–112 × 86– 142 (98 × 114) 53 × 54 P. pacificus BMNH 1981.6.1.25 Epinephelus tauvina Waltair Coast, Bay of Bengal 3 1,772–1,836 (1,808) 359–452 (394) 401–500 (457) 496–519 (511) 548–741 (659) 632–679 (656) 617–767 (674) 543–617 (580) 266–319 × 231– 263 (292 × 244) 103–210 (163) 217–500 (375) 176–246 (218) 353–449 (401) 14–15 (14.7) 241–403 (305) 11–14 (12.3) 117–178 × 123– 170 (143 × 139) 84–91 × 86– 106 (88 × 96) P. pacificus BMNH 1981.6.1.25 Epinephelus tauvina Waltair Coast, Bay of Bengal 2 1,239–1,664 322–488 219–379 378–548 372–625 752–752 536–819 484–729 242–389 × 229–270 0 120–242 133–156 305–428 14–16 262–389 11–13 126–156 × 107–153 76–76 × 90–90 (continued) 185 Table 1. Continued. Species Source Host(s) Locality n Ovary Ovary to anterior testis Anterior testis Distance between testes Posterior testis Posterior testis to cirrus-sac Cirrus-sac Seminal vesicle Pars prostatica Post-testicular region Post-vitelline region Anterior extremity of cirrus-sac to posterior extremity (AECSPE) Post-ovarian region Genital pore to posterior extremity Post-uterine region Eggs Width%* Pre-vitelline distance%* Pre-caecal distance%* Pre-uterine distance%* Pre-mouth distance%* Pre-testicular distance%* Pre-ovarian distance%* Rhynchus length%* Rhynchus width as % rhynchus length Long vitelline field%* Caecal length%* Ovary length%* Anterior testis length%* Distance between testes%* Posterior testis length%* Posterior testis to cirrus-sac%* Cirrus-sac length%* Seminal vesicle length as % of cirrus-sac length Post-testicular region%* Post-vitelline region%* AECSPE%* Post-ovarian region%* Genital pore to posterior extremity%* Post-uterine region%* * as % of body-length 186 P. atlanticus USNPC 36711, types Mycteroperca bonaci Dry Tortugas, Florida 0–10 (3) 288–314 × 86– 92 (298 × 89) 107–155 × 19– 25 (133 × 23) 185–216 × 49– 56 (201 × 52) 398–458 (428) 442–551 (504) 377–434 (408) P. pacificus BMNH 1981.6.1.25 Epinephelus tauvina Waltair Coast, Bay of Bengal 3 104 × 89– 91 (104 × 90) 8–9 (8) 112–143 × 97– 131 (126 × 115) 8–72 (47) 108–122 × 78– 119 (115 × 98) 167–324 (242) 416–480 × 96–120 (446 × 107) 192–271 × 46– 59 (230 × 53) 165–215 × 40– 58 (198 × 52) 826–976 (898) 884–968 (932) 642–721 (674) P. pacificus BMNH 1981.6.1.25 Epinephelus tauvina Waltair Coast, Bay of Bengal 2 79–98 × 68–97 0 111–137 × 94–130 7–26 87–123 × 82–117 0–25 424–481 × 84–136 187–201 × 41–82 179–222 × 45–86 484–710 739–813 546–687 549–566 (556) 83–172 (127) 15–28 (22) 31–36 × 18– 20 (34 × 19) 26.9–32.7 (29.3) 23.4–25.4 (24.8) 30.3–33.9 (32.0) 35.6–47.8 (39.9) 44.6–48.5 (46.6) 40.1–44.9 (41.8) 37.0–40.2 (38.7) 24.1–25.6 (24.6) 69.2–92.8 (79.9) 21.2–27.3 (23.6) 8.04–11.3 (9.66) 7.61–8.65 (8.22) 8.75–12.2 (10.3) 0–3.86 (1.29) 7.53 0–0.92 (0.31) 27.5–30.3 (29.0) 36.7–49.3 (44.5) 1,063–1,176 (1,120) 228–271 (255) 112–155 (127) 31–33 × 18– 20 (32 × 19) 19.7–24.6 (21.8) 22.6–27.2 (25.2) 27.0–29.3 (28.3) 29.8–40.8 (36.5) 35.7–37.4 (36.5) 33.6–42.2 (37.3) 29.6–34.8 (32.2) 14.6–17.4 (16.1) 74.4–99.1 (84.4) 19.9–24.5 (22.1) 6.59–9.71 (7.91) 5.67–5.85 (5.78) 6.16–7.81 (6.95) 0.42–4.09 (2.62) 5.94–6.63 (6.38) 9.42–17.7 (13.3) 22.9–27.1 (24.7) 46.1–61.2 (51.5) 676–916 137–181 114–115 34–38 × 21–24 26.0–29.3 17.7–22.8 30.5–32.9 30.0–37.5 45.2–45.2 43.3–49.2 39.0–43.8 19.5–23.4 69.7–94.6 24.6–25.7 9.37–10.2 5.88–6.40 8.21–8.94 0.41–2.12 7.05–7.38 0–1.50 28.9–34.2 41.9–44.2 38.0–44.2 (41.1) 42.2–53.2 (49.1) 36.0–41.9 (39.8) 52.4–55.4 (54.2) 8.32–16.6 (12.3) 45.5–53.2 (49.7) 48.2–54.6 (51.6) 35.3–40.7 (37.3) 60.0–64.1 (62.0) 12.4–15.1 (14.1) 39.1–42.7 48.9–59.7 41.3–44.1 54.6–55.1 19.9–11.1 1.46–2.71 (2.19) 6.10–8.52 (6.99) 6.85–9.29 3 80–90 × 71– 115 (84 × 88) 0 92–121 × 79– 132 (105 × 101) 0–40 (13) 79 × 88 Bray, Justine: Prosorhynchus maternus sp. n. Madhavi (1974) reported, but did not describe, P. pacificus from the greasy grouper Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål) in the Bay of Bengal. She gave eggmeasurements (27–33 × 16–20 µm), but no other data. We have examined five of her specimens (BMNH 1981.6.1.25) and two distinct species appear to be present. Three specimens are similar to our form and may well be conspecific, whereas two differ in the vitellarium reaching the rhynchus, the cirrus-sac reaching to or almost to the posterior testis and in several other ratios (Table 1). Prosorhynchus pacificus has also been reported in the lutjanid John’s snapper Lutjanus johni Bloch, off Malaysia (Leong and Wong 1989). There are several reports of P. pacificus in the Atlantic Ocean resulting, no doubt, from the synonymy discussed below. These records need confirmation. Hanson (1950) considered P. atlanticus a synonym of P. pacificus, and Winter (1960), Overstreet (1969) and Madhavi (1974) agreed, whereas Nahhas and Cable (1964) did not. We have examined the USNPC slide No. 36711 of P. atlanticus labelled ‘type’ and have measured the three specimens (Table 1). This species differs from P. maternus in that the vitellarium reaches to or almost to the rhynchus, the cirrus-sac reaches to or almost to the posterior testis, the mouth is more posterior, the rhynchus relatively longer, the cirrus-sac is relatively larger and several other ratios do not overlap (Table 1). The synonymy of P. atlanticus and P. pacificus is not supported by our measurements in that in the former the vitellarium reaches to or close to the rhynchus, the rhynchus is relatively longer, the cirrus-sac is relatively shorter and the eggs are larger (Table 1). Madhavi (1974) also considered P. luzonicus Velasquez, 1959, from the barramundi Lates calcarifer (Bloch) (Latidae) from off of the Philippines, a synonym of P. pacificus. Prosorhynchus luzonicus differs from P. maternus in that the vitellarium reaches almost to the rhynchus and the cirrus-sac reaches almost to the posterior testis. Prosorhynchus gonoderus differs from P. maternus in the much more anterior position of the mouth, vitellarium and gonads (Manter 1940a). Prosorhynchus longicollis differs from P. maternus in many features. It is much narrower, has a tiny buttonlike rhynchus, the mouth is well into the posterior third of the body, the testes are relatively close to the posterior extremity and the cirrus-sac overlaps the gonads as far as the ovary (Yamaguti 1953). Other species differ from P. maternus in the following characters: In P. mcintoshi the cirrus-sac overlaps the posterior testis and the mouth is equatorial (Velasquez 1959). P. bulbosus, an Atlantic species, differs in being narrower, with a more posterior vitellarium, an equatorial mouth and testes in the posterior half of the body (Kohn 1961, Kohn 1967). P. promicropsi, an Atlantic species, differs in the much more posteriorly situated vitellarium, with the caecum reaching distinctly anterior to it, and the more posteriorly situated mouth and gonads (Manter 1940b). P. mizellei, from a cyclopterid, is a squat worm, with the relatively very large cirrus-sac reaching to the ovary, a small rhynchus and eggs 32–40 µm long (Kruse 1977). P. kahala, from a carangid, is an elongate worm, with all the gonads in the posterior half of the body, the mouth in the posterior quarter of the body and the cirrus-sac overlapping the anterior testis (Yamaguti 1970). Prosorhynchus maternus can be readily distinguished from the other Prosorhynchus species reported from New Caledonia by its post-ovarian uterus and several other features. In P. freitasi the vitellarium reaches only to the equatorial level and most of the organs are crowded into the posterior half of the body, the rhynchus is relatively tiny and the cirrus-sac reaches to the posterior testis (Nagaty 1937). P. longisaccatus is a relatively squat worm, with a relatively large rhynchus, the vitellarium overlaps the rhynchus and the long cirrus-sac reaches almost to the equatorial level, overlapping the gonads. In P. serrani the uterus reaches into the previtelline region and the cirrus-sac overlaps the posterior testis (Durio and Manter 1968). Further records of bucephalids from New Caledonia. We have found two further bucephalid species from epinepheline serranids from off New Caledonia. Prosorhynchus longisaccatus Durio et Manter, 1968, originally reported from the ‘leche’ has been found by us in the speckled blue grouper Epinephelus cyanopodus (Richardson) (MNHN JNC1659, BMNH 2006.4. 27.1–10). In New Caledonia E. cyanopodus is known as the ‘loche bleue’, being blue, and is readily identifiable. Durio and Manter (1968) used the name ‘loche bleue’ without the scientific binomial in several other descriptions, prompting us to think that the original report of this worm is from a different species of grouper. We have also found Prosorhynchoides lamprelli Bott et Cribb, 2005 from the brassy trevally Caranx papuensis Alleyne et Macleay, off Nouméa (MNHN JNC1189C, BMNH 2006.4.27.11–13) (see Bott and Cribb 2005). Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Prof. Claude Chauvet (UNC, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa) and Soazig Le Mouellic (UNC) for collecting of the fish on board the R/V ‘Alcyon’, Amandine Marie and Damien Hinsinger, students, for helping with parasitological examination, Angelo di Matteo (IRD) who provided technical help, Patricia Pilitt (USNPC, Beltsville, USA) for the loan of specimens and David Gibson (Natural History Museum, London) for reading the manuscript. 187 REFERENCES BOTT N.J., CRIBB T.H. 2005: Prosorhynchoides lamprelli n. sp. (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from the brassy trevally, Caranx papuensis (Teleostei: Carangidae), from off Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa 1059: 33–38. CRIBB T.H., BRAY R.A., WRIGHT T., PICHELIN S. 2002: The trematodes of groupers (Serranidae: Epinephelinae): knowledge, nature and evolution. Parasitology 124: S23– S42. DURIO W.O., MANTER H.W. 1968: Some digenetic trematodes of marine fishes of New Caledonia. Part I. 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