Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of
Date of this Version
4-1995
Abstract
A new species of Acanthobothrium in Aetobatus narinari from the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, most closely resembles Acanthobothrium colombianum in the same host and A. urotrygoni in Urotrygon venezuelae from Cartagena, Colombia, by having relatively few proglottides per strobila, spinose cephalic peduncles, bothridial margins free at their posterior ends, and irregularly shaped rather than spherical or elongate cirrus sacs. Acanthobothrium colombianum differs from the new species by being as much as 35 mm rather than no more than 4.7 mm long and by having 31-48 rather than 13-19 proglottides, an average of 46 rather than 15 testes per proglottis, and bothridial hooks averaging 185 μm rather than 137 μm in total length. Acanthobothrium urotrygoni differs from the new species by being as much as 15 mm rather than no more than 4.7 mm long and by having V-shaped rather than H-shaped ovaries, bothridial hooks averaging 95 μm rather than 137 μm in total length, by having an average of 28 rather than 15 testes per proglottis, and by having poral ovarian arms extending anteriorly to the posterior margin of the cirrus sac and aporal arms extending to the lateral margin of the cirrus sac.
Comments
Published by the Journal of Parasitology (April 1995) 81(2): 244-246. Copyright 1995, the American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.