In November of 2013, a specimen of Japanese sleeper ray, Narke japonica (Temminck et Schlegel), caught off Nanfang-ao, Taiwan was found to be parasitised by the cestode Anteropora japonica (Yamaguti, 1934). Specimens comprised whole worms and free proglottids, both of varying degrees of maturity. This material allowed for the opportunity to examine in detail the developmental progression of this hyperapolytic lecanicephalidean species with regard to overall size, scolex dimensions, and microthrix pattern. Complete immature worms ranged in size from 2.4 mm to 14 mm. The smallest scoleces were half as wide as larger scoleces and exhibited a much smaller ratio of apical organ width to bothridial width. Proglottids more than quadrupled in length during maturation from terminal attached immature to detached proglottids. In addition, a change in microthrix pattern was observed on the anterior region of the proglottids from immature to gravid proglottids; the anterior region of attached immature proglottids is covered with gladiate to coniform spinitriches with capilliform filitriches only rarely visible, whereas this region in detached proglottids is covered with gladiate to coniform spinitriches and conspicuous capilliform filitriches. This is the first report of A. japonica from outside Japan expanding its distribution south to Taiwan. In addition, a preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the genus is presented that suggests congeners from the same host species are not each other's closest relatives, nor is there an apparent phylogenetic signal for apical organ type or reproductive strategy (apolysis). However, reproductive strategy does seem to be correlated with host group such that euapolytic species parasitise dasyatid stingrays while hyperapolytic species parasitise either torpediniform rays or orectolobiform sharks., Rachel R. Guyer and Kirsten Jensen., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The Research Centre of the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences at Academia Sinica in Taiwan (RCT) was established on December 3, 2015. It is designed to act as a branch office of the Oriental Institute of the CAS and is intended to serve as a platform facilitating and strengthening academic exchanges between Czech and Taiwanese scholars as well as institutions. The Centre is a part of a long-term interdisciplinary research project entitled Power and Strategies of Social and Political Order. Czech research fellows are expected to participate in conferences and hold colloqiums with their Taiwanese colleagues. In cooperation with the Academia Sinica, the Institute plans to organize annual joint workshops and publish their proceedings. It will concomitantly continue building the network of patner institutions and thus create a solid foundation for further scholarly exchanges. In cooperation with Charles University in Prague it will also support doctoral students wishing to conduct research at the Centre. and Táňa Dluhošová.