Benedenia bodiani Yamaguti, 1968

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 : 686-688

Benedenia bodiani Yamaguti, 1968

(®gures 13±15, 16A, 19A±C)

Material studied. USNPC: No. 63586 (holotype and paratypes) (1 slide, 14 specimens) ex gills of Bodianus bilunulatus (LaceÂpeÁde) ( Labridae ), Hawaii; MPM: No. 15392 (paratypes) (3 slides; 1 with 1 individual, 1 with 4 inividuals, 1 with 9 individuals) ex gills of B. bilunulatus (Labridae) , Hawaii.

All 28 specimens were measured and comparative measurements are presented in table 2.

Observations. Benedenia bodiani is one of four species described by Yamaguti (1968) from Hawaiian ®shes, the others being B. hawaiiensis , B. lolo and B. scari . Yamaguti did not distinguish any of these four species satisfactorily from others in the genus and, in most cases, compared each only with the other Hawaiian species. He also provided a key to his four Hawaiian species which is unworkable and contains errors. We have re-examined types of each species and have attempted to clarify any distinguishing features.

The types of B. bodiani are, on the whole, poor and in 28 type specimens examined, we could not see all anatomical features described in Yamaguti’s (1968) study of 17 whole-mounts. However we oOEer the following supplementary information. Generally, the specimens possess an almost circular haptor (®gures 13, 14A) but one specimen has a haptor similar in shape to that of B. acanthopagr i (®gure 14B). The latter may be due to an artifact of handling, ®xation or processing or it may belong to a diOEerent, closely related but undescribed species. Yamaguti described`alae’ on the accessory sclerites but we consider that this feature has been misinterpreted. What Yamaguti appears to have described is the raised ventral haptoral tissue through which the accessory sclerites protrude. The accessory sclerites of B. bodiani have a marked bi®d notch (®gures 14B, 19A) through which haptoral tendons run (®gure 14A, E, 16A). The anterior hamuli are strongly recurved (®gures 14C, 19B). Some variation in their shape was observed, especially proximally (®gure 14F±H) which deserves further study should new material become available; some of the variation seen in the pro®les of the hamuli may be due to diOEerences in their orientation. The proximal ends of the anterior hamuli overlap the proximal ends of the accessory sclerites and the distal ends of the anterior hamuli overlap the posterior hamuli for two-thirds to three-quarters of their length (®gures 13, 14A, E, 16A). We have determined that there are 14 hooklets.

The marginal valve has the following arrangement of lobes: one lobe between hooklets of pair II; one lobe between hooklet II and the position of the distal tips of the posterior hamuli; one lobe between the posterior hamuli and hooklet III; one lobe between hooklets III and IV, IV and V, V and VI, and VI and VII; one large lobe between hooklets VII and VIII and between hooklets of pair VIII (®gures 13, 14A, E, 16A). The sizes of the lobes increase towards the anterior edge of the haptor where the hooklets become more widely spaced. In some specimens, strong wavy muscles were observed near the periphery of the haptor (®gures 13, 14A, E, 16A).

The penis is broader and more distinct (®gure 15) than shown by Yamaguti (1968). We observed no strong musculature in the penis canal or accessory gland reservoir and the duct connecting the accessory gland reservoir to the penis is more distinct than depicted by Yamaguti. He also described the vas deferens and duct from the accessory gland reservoir to join at the base of the`cirrus’ but this reēcts his apparent perception in some species that what he terms the`cirrus’ appears to be only the terminal portion of the penis. The glands of Goto are large and conspicuous and the testes are relatively large and widely spaced (®gure 13).

There is a hint of an internal fertilization chamber in the germarium in some specimens but it was not observed clearly. No lobe was observed near the submarginal common genital pore. The vagina opens dorsally, posterior to the common genital pore (®gure 15).

Type-host and locality. Bodianus bilunulatus (Labridae) , Hawaii.

Published record and description. Yamaguti (1968).

Published host records. Labridae : Bodianus bilunulatus .

Site . Gills

Distribution. Hawaii.

Remarks. Yamaguti (1968) compared B. bodiani only with B. lolo . These species are similar but diOEer because B. bodiani has a smaller haptor relative to body size and has smaller accessory sclerites and anterior hamuli than B. lolo (®gure 16A, D and table 2). The posterior hamuli for each species are of similar size (table 2) but have diOEerent shapes (®gures 16A, D, 19C, L). Benedenia bodiani also resembles B. epinepheli , but close comparison reveals some diOEerences. Benedenia epinepheli possesses two ¯aps, one associated with the common genital pore and one with the vagina, but B. bodiani has no such ¯aps. Furthermore, B. epinepheli has a characteristic cup-shaped termination to the vagina with a distinct sphincter (®gure 18) but B. bodiani has a simple vaginal pore (®gure 15). Moreover, B. bodiani has large glands of Goto in comparison with B. epinepheli and B. lolo . Benedenia bodiani and B. lolo occur on the same host family, the Labridae , and B. epinepheli , while reported from 25 host species from 14 families and ®ve orders, does occur on one species of labrid, Semicossyphus reticulatus Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes (see Ogawa et al., 1995).