Anthocephalum meadowsi, Ruhnke, Timothy R., Caira, Janine N. & Cox, Allison, 2015

Ruhnke, Timothy R., Caira, Janine N. & Cox, Allison, 2015, The cestode order Rhinebothriidea no longer family-less: A molecular phylogenetic investigation with erection of two new families and description of eight new species of Anthocephalum, Zootaxa 3904 (1), pp. 51-81 : 66-69

Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp.

( Figs. 1 E, 6A–B, 7 A–E)

Type host. Himantura leoparda Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last.

Type locality. Arafura Sea east of Wessel Islands (11°17'44"S, 136°59'48"E), Northern Territory, Australia (NT–32 and NT–117).

Site of infection. Spiral intestine.

Type material. Holotype (QM G234607); 2 paratypes (QM G234608, G234609); 3 paratypes ( USNM 1251818–1251820), 3 paratypes (LRP 8540–8542); hologenophore (LRP 8514).

Etymology. The species is named for John Meadows, husband of junior author Allison Cox.

Description. Based on 13 whole mounts and 2 scoleces prepared for SEM. Worms slightly craspedote, euapolytic, 7.9–16.8 mm long, with 30–40 proglottids; maximum width 320–840 at scolex. Scolex with 4 bothridia and short cephalic peduncle. Bothridia stalked, slightly folded, with 98–134 marginal loculi and round apical sucker; apical sucker 45–50 in diameter. Proximal surfaces of bothridial rims covered with acicular filitriches; proximal surfaces of marginal loculi adjacent to rims densely covered with small scolopate spinitriches and acicular filitriches ( Figures 7 B, C), area away from bothridial rim with acicular filitriches only; proximal nonlocular surfaces of bothridia covered with acicular filitriches ( Figure 7 D). Distal bothridial surfaces and distal surfaces of apical suckers covered with small gladiate spinitriches and acicular filitriches ( Figure 7 E).

Immature proglottids initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity; length:width ratio at mid-strobila 1.3–3:1. Terminal proglottid 580–1,880 long by 120–240 wide, length:width ratio 2.8–12.7:1. Testes 15–25 in number; slightly oblong, 10–40 long by 13–40 wide, arranged in 2 irregular columns anterior to cirrussac. Cirrus-sac posteriorly recurved, 152–252 long by 80–100 wide, containing coiled cirrus; cirrus armed with spinitriches. Vas deferens dorsal, coiled anterior to cirrus-sac, expanded and descending to ovarian bridge. Genital pores lateral, slightly muscular, 42–53% of proglottid length from posterior end, irregularly alternating. Ovary near posterior end of proglottid, H-shaped in frontal view 220–650 long by 60–90 wide. Vagina sinuous, extends from Mehlis’ gland anteriorly, then ventral and lateral to cirrus-sac, opening into genital atrium. Ovicapt at posterior margin of ovarian bridge, ventral, 20–40 in diameter. Uterus median, ventral, extending from ovarian bridge to anterior margin of proglottid; uterine duct inconspicuous. Vitellarium follicular; follicles 13–25 long by 18–43 wide, in 2 lateral bands; each band consisting of 2–3 dorsal and 2–3 ventral columns of follicles, extending from near anterior to near posterior margin of proglottid; interrupted by ovary, not interrupted by cirrus-sac. Excretory ducts lateral, consisting of 1 dorsal and 1 ventral pair.

Remarks. Of the 13 species of Anthocephalum described to date, Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. differs from all species except A. duszynskii in that its columns of vitelline follicles are not interrupted by the cirrus-sac. Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. conspicuously differs from A. duszynskii in its possession of fewer proglottids (30–40 vs. 120–160) and fewer testes (15–25 vs. 35–71). It is also a much smaller (7.9–16.8 mm vs. 18–31 mm long) and more slender (320–840 vs. 1,300–1,825) worm.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Line drawings of Anthocephalum n. spp. A. Anthocephalum decrisantisorum n. sp., paratype (LRP 8523). B. Anthocephalum healyae n. sp., holotype (QM G 234600), not all anterior proglottids shown. C. Anthocephalum jensenae n. sp., holotype (QM G 234603). D. Anthocephalum mattisi n. sp., holotype (MNHN HEL 433). E. Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp., holotype (QM G 234607). F. Anthocephalum odonnellae n. sp., holotype (MZUM [P] 2014.5 [H]). G. Anthocephalum papefayei n. sp., paratype (LRP 8549). H. Anthocephalum philruschi n. sp., (LRP 8555). For comparative purposes, all drawings are at same scale.

FIGURE 7. Scanning electron micrographs of Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. and Anthocephalum odonnellae n. sp. A. A. meadowsi n. sp., scolex. Letters indicate locations of Figures 7 C – E. B. A. meadowsi n. sp., marginal loculi. Letters indicate locations of Figures 7 C – D. C. A. meadowsi n. sp., proximal surface of marginal loculus near bothridial rim. D. A. meadowsi n. sp., proximal surface of marginal loculus and bothridium. E. A. meadowsi n. sp., distal surface of bothridium. F. A. odonnellae n. sp., scolex. Letters indicate locations of Figures 7 I – J. G. A. odonnellae n. sp., marginal loculi. Letter indicates location of Figure 7 H. H. A. odonnellae n. sp., proximal surface of marginal loculus near bothridial rim. I. A. odonnellae n. sp., proximal surface of bothridium. J. A. odonnellae n. sp., distal surface of bothridium.