Gyrodactylus aff. mugili Zhukov, 1970 (Monogenoidea: Gyrodactylidae) is recorded and described from the gill lamellae of 11 of 35 greenback mullet, Chelon subviridis (Valenciennes) (minimum prevalence 31%), from the brackish waters of the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary in southern Iraq. The gyrodactylid was also found on the gill lamellae of one of eight Speigler's mullet, Valamugil speigleri (Bleeker), from the brackish waters of the Shatt Al-Basrah Canal (minimum prevalence 13%). Fifteen Klunzinger's mullet, Liza klunzingeri (Day), and 13 keeled mullet, Liza carinata (Valenciennes), collected and examined from southern Iraqi waters, were apparently uninfected. The gyrodactylids from the greenback mullet and Speigler's mullet were considered to have affinity to G. mugili Zhukov, 1970, and along with G. mugili may represent members of a species complex occurring on mullets in the Indo-Pacific Region. A single damaged gyrodactylid from the external surfaces of the abu mullet, Liza abu (Heckel), was insufficient for species identification. Previously identified species of Gyrodactylus recorded on L. abu in Iraq by various authors were considered possible misidentifications or accidental infections.
Gyrodactylus pisculentus sp. n. is described from the head, body and fins of the northern pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus Storer (Syngnathidae) from the environs of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. The new species is compared with Gyrodactylus shorti and Gyrodactylus syngnathi, species previously recorded from pipefish in the United States and Norway, respectively. Gyrodactylus pisculentus was frequently associated with mortality of northern pipefish held in quarantine at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium during 2002-2005. The clinical account of the infections and treatment protocols are presented.
Mastacembelocleidus gen. n. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) is proposed to include two species collected and redescribed from spiny eels (Mastacembelidae) in India and Iraq: Mastacembelocleidus bam (Tripathi, 1959) comb. n. (syn. Ancyrocephalus bam Tripathi, 1959) from the gills of Macrognathus pancalus (new host record) and Macrognathus aculeatus (Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae) from Lucknow, India; and Mastacembelocleidus heteranchorus (Kulkarni, 1969) comb. n. (syn. Urocleidus heteranchorus Kulkarni, 1969) from the gills of Mastacembelus armatus from Lucknow, India, and Mastacembelus mastacembelus (new host record) from the environs of Erbil, Iraq (new locality record). Urocleidus rhyncobdelli Jain, 1959, Haliotrema tandani Agrawal et Singh, 1982 and Urocleidus raipurensis Dubey, Gupta et Agarwal, 1992 are considered junior subjective synonyms of M. bam.
Anacanthorus franciscanus sp. n. and Anacanthorus brevicirrus sp. n. (Dactylogyridae) are described from the gills of the matrinchã, Brycon orthotaenia Günther (Characidae), from the Rio São Francisco in Brazil. Anacanthorus franciscanus most closely resembles Anacanthorus elegans and A. kruidenieri from the matrinchão, Brycon melanopterus, of the Amazon River Basin. It differs from these species in part by having the bulbous proximal end of the hook shank with two translucent regions. Anacanthorus brevicirrus resembles A. franciscanus, A. kruidenieri and A. elegans but is differentiated from these species by its short straight male copulatory organ and by having one translucent region in the bulbous base of the hook shank.
Polylabris lingaoensis sp. n. is described from the gills of the bald glassy, Ambassis gymnocephalus (Chandidae), from the Gulf of Tonkin (South China Sea), near Lingao, Hainan Province, China. The new species is characterized by a midventral vaginal pore, comparatively few (5-7) testes, and 2 parallel rows each comprised of 30-43 microcotylid clamps in the haptor. Polylabris lingaoensis is the only member of the genus known to parasitize a chandid host. Polylabris cf. mamaevi is described from the gills of the mottled spinefoot, Siganus fuscescens (Siganidae), from the South China Sea, which represents new host and locality records for the helminth. The gill parasites from S. fuscescens are tentatively assigned to P. mamaevi pending new collections and restudy of microcotylid species from siganid fishes.