Haliotrematoides shenzhenensis ( Wang, Liu & Zhou, 2003 ) Kritsky, Delane C., Tingbao, Yang & Yuan, Sun, 2009

Kritsky, Delane C., Tingbao, Yang & Yuan, Sun, 2009, Dactylogyrids (Monogenoidea, Polyonchoinea) parasitizing the gills of snappers (Perciformes, Lutjanidae): Proposal of Haliotrematoides n. gen. and descriptions of new and previously described species from marine fishes of the Red Sea, the eastern and Indo-west Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, Zootaxa 1970 (1970), pp. 1-51 : 30-31

Haliotrematoides shenzhenensis ( Wang, Liu & Zhou, 2003) n. comb.

Syn. Haliotrema shenzhenensis Wang, Liu & Zhou, 2003 .

Type host and locality: Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus) : Shenzhen , Guangdong Province, China (22 o 27–52'N, 113 o 46'–37'E).

Site of infection: Gills.

Previous record (as Haliotrema shenzhenensis ): Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus) : Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (22 o 27–52'N, 113 o 46'–37'E) ( Wang et al. 2003).

Remarks: Wang et al. (2003) described Haliotrema shenzhenensis from the gills of the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus , a fish recently introduced to China and the western Pacific from the eastern coast of North America. The red drum is not known to host dactylogyrids in North America, although at least three species have been recorded from it in China: H. shenzhenensis , Haliotrematoides noncalcaris and H. brachyflagellocirrus . It appears that S. ocellatus acquired these dactylogyrids subsequent to its introduction to China in 1991. Although we recognize H. shenzhenensis as a valid species, we assume that the helminth is a natural parasite of another native fish in China, probably a species of Lutjanus . In support of this assumption, evidence suggests that the occurrence of H. noncalcaris and H. brachyflagellocirrus on this host in China ( Wang et al. 2003) represents host transfers from the mangrove red drum, L. argentimaculatus (see Remarks for H. noncalcaris and H. brachyflagellocirrus ).

The type specimens of H. shenzhenensis were not available for study. However, based on the morphology of the haptoral and copulatory sclerites suggested in the drawings by Wang et al. (2003), we consider H. shenzhenensis a valid member of Haliotrematoides , to which it is transferred as H. shenzhenensis n. comb. It differs from all known congenerics by having an MCO comprised of broad funnel-shaped tubular shaft apparently lacking a proximal base.

Li et al. (2005b) reported this species from two other hosts, Sparus macrocephalus and L. argentimaculatus in China. None of these records represent H. shenzhenensis (see Remarks for H. brachyflagellocirrus ). The identification of S. macrocephalus as a host for species of Haliotrematoides by Li et al. (2005b) is also questionable. This fish has been examined consistently over more than a period of one year for monogenoids from the same locality from which Li et al. (2005b) obtained their specimens, and species of Haliotrematoides have never been observed on this host (Yang, unpublished). Thus, identification of the specimens identified as H. shenzhenensis from S. macrocephalus by Li et al. (2005b) remains obscure; unfortunately we were unable to examine their specimens to verify their account.