Echinoplectanum Justine & Euzet, 2006

Domingues, Marcus V. & Boeger, Walter A., 2008, Phylogeny and revision of Diplectanidae Monticelli, 1903 (Platyhelminthes: Monogenoidea), Zootaxa 1698, pp. 1-40 : 32

Echinoplectanum Justine & Euzet, 2006

Diagnosis: Tegument smooth. Genital pore opening posterior to male copulatory organ (MCO). Genital atrium muscular. Vas deferens intercaecal. MCO tubular, composed of 2 nested tubes; external tube uniform; MCO with distal tube enclosing eversible cirrus; spines associated with the distal portion of the copulatory organ [71]; base of the male copulatory organ expanded; muscular ridges associated with the base of the MCO [70] Accessory piece absent. Prostatic reservoir simple. Accessory copulatory organ absent. Vaginal atrium sclerotized. Vaginal aperture marginal. Squamodiscs ventral, dorsal; anterior rows of rodlets with closed rings, intermediate rows of rodlets with anterior lightly sclerotized blunt spinelet [69]. Superficial root of ventral anchor well developed. Parasites of marine perciform fishes ( Serranidae , Centropomidae ,) and freshwater siluriforms ( Schilbeidae ).

Type species: E. laeve Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus laevis (Lacépède) (Serranidae) .

Other species: E. echinophallus ( Euzet & Oliver, 1965) Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Epinephelus marginatus , Schilbe mystus (Linnaeus) (Schilbeidae) , and Lates niloticus (Latidae) ; E. plectropomi ( Young, 1969) Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch) ; E. chauverotum Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus laevis ; E. leopardi Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus leopardus (Lacépède) ; E. pudicum Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus leopardus ; E. rarum Justine & Euzet, 2006 from Plectropomus leopardus .

Remarks: Echinoplectanum is closely related to Pseudorhabdosynochus by sharing the following synapomorphies: (1) squamodiscs, with anterior rows of rodlets with closed rings; (2) and vaginal atrium sclerotized. However, Echinoplectanum can be differentiated from Pseudorhabdosynochus by an autapomorphy: spines associated with the distal portion of the copulatory organ.