Menziesia malaboni ( Velasquez, 1982 ) Whittington & Deveney & Wyborn, 2001

Whittington, I. D., Deveney, M. R. & Wyborn, S. J., 2001, A revision of Benedenia Diesing, 1858 including a redescription of B. sciaenae (van Beneden, 1856) Odhner, 1905 and recognition of Menziesia Gibson, 1976 (Monogenea: Capsalidae), Journal of Natural History 35 (5), pp. 663-777 : 747-750

Menziesia malaboni ( Velasquez, 1982) comb. nov.

(®gure 36)

Synonym: Benedenia malaboni Velasquez, 1982 (new synonym). Material studied. USNPC: No. 76334 (holotype) (1 slide, 1 individual) ex gills of Epinephelus nudulosus (sic) according to slide label but E. undulosus (Quoy and Gaimard) according to Velasquez (1982) ( Serranidae ), Dagatdagatan, Malabon, Rizal, Luzon Island, Philippines. Observations. Numerous eOEorts to obtain the two paratypes of M. malaboni

comb. nov. in the collection of Emeritus Professor Carmen Velasquez failed and therefore this reappraisal is based only on our examination of the holotype and on the original description by Velasquez (1982). She gave a reasonable account but we provide supplementary data. We noticed that our measurements of the holotype were signi®cantly larger (in most cases almost twice the size) than those given by Velasquez (1982). The morphometrics in micrometres measured by us from the holotype are as follows: total length, 2591; maximum width, 1020; haptor width, 720 (folding of the haptor precluded a length measurement); accessory sclerite length, 134±146 (n 5 2); anterior hamuli length, 120 (n 5 2); posterior hamuli length, 52±57 (n 5 2); anterior attachment organs, 276±280Ö184 (n 5 2); pharynx, 255Ö255. Menziesia malaboni comb. nov. is therefore a small species (®gure 3C).

Details of the haptor are as described by Velasquez and are shown in ®gure 36B. Velasquez commented on some variability in shape among her three specimens. The distal tips of the accessory sclerites are hooked (®gure 36C) and tendons pass through the notch at their proximal ends (®gure 36B). The anterior hamuli are sinuous with rounded distal tips and have a small, subterminal, anteriorly directed spike (®gure 36D). The posterior hamuli have a strongly recurved distal tip (®gure 36E). The proximal ends of the anterior hamuli just overlap the proximal ends of the accessory sclerites and the distal tips of the anterior hamuli overlap the proximal ends of the posterior hamuli for half of their length (®gure 36B). The marginal valve comprises numerous small lobes, but their arrangement in relation to the 14 hooklets could not be determined accurately due to folding (®gure 36B). The anterior attachment organs are folded around their margins; it is not possible to determine whether they are disc-like or irregular, bipartite structures. We noted numerous gland cells at the anterior extremity of the body.

The penis is long and slender but details of the penis canal and accessory gland reservoir are hard to see. The vas deferens and the duct containing accessory gland secretion remain separate until close to the penis tip (®gure 36A). The`seminal vesicle’ inside the`cirrus pouch’ described by Velasquez (1982) was not observed and we consider that the accessory gland reservoir overlies dorsally the proximal end of the penis inside the penis canal. We could not see glands of Goto. Velasquez (1982) described a short uterus but her ®gure 4 depicts an egg posterior to the penis as if occupying a duct separate from the penis canal. Our study of the holotype indicates that this may be the case (®gure 36A) and deserves further study. The structure referred to by Velasquez as the`unknown organ of Yamaguti (1934) ’ is a vaginal seminal receptacle and in the holotype, the vagina clearly joins it. The structure interpreted to be a seminal receptacle by her was simply a loop in the vas deferens. The vagina opens marginally.

Type-host and locality. Epinephelus nudulosus (sic) (5 E. undulosus ) ( Serranidae ), Dagatdagatan, Malabon, Rizah, Luzon Island .

Published record and description. Velasquez (1982).

Published host record. Serranidae : Epinephelus nudulosus (sic) (5 E. undulosus ).

Site . Gills.

Distribution. Dagatdagatan, Malabon, Rizah, Luzon Island, Philippines.

Remarks. This species belongs in Menziesia because our study of the holotype con®rms that it possesses a curved penis canal and elongate, thin, tapering penis. Furthermore, the accessory gland reservoir lies dorsal to the proximal end of the penis inside the penis canal and the area of the body anterior to the pharynx contains many gland cells. The general shape of the sclerites and arrangement of the haptor are similar to those observed in M. noblei and M. merinthe (cf. ®gures 36B, 35A, 37A and 38A).

Velasquez (1982) considered that M. (as B.) malaboni was most similar to B. epinepheli and B. (now M.) sebastodis . New characters described by Ogawa et al. (1995) for B. epinepheli and veri®ed in the present study, such as a strongly muscular, broad penis, a lobe near the common genital pore and a ¯ap near the submarginal, cup-shape d opening of the vagina, distinguish it clearly from M. malaboni . Menziesia malaboni and M. sebastodis are similar but diOEer because the posterior hamuli of M. sebastodis are twice the length and are more ®lamentous (®gure 40A, D) than those of M. malaboni (®gure 36B, E). The anterior hamuli of these two species are of similar shape and size, but in all other dimensions M. malaboni as measured from the holotype by us is larger than M. sebastodis .