DESCRIPTION OF TWO DIGENEAN PARASITES LECITHOCHIRIUM PRIACANTHI YAMAGUTI, 1953 (HEMIURIDAE) AND PSEUDOPECOELOIDES ARTHERINOMORI AKEN'OVA ET AL, 2009 (OPECOELIDAE) INFECTING ANGUILLIDAE AND SERRANIDAE MARINE HOSTS IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.

2 Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The study described of two parasitic digenean species isolated from pyloric portion of stomach and middle part of their host intestines. Lecithochirium priacanthi Yamaguti, 1953 (Hemiuridae) & Pseudopecoeloides artherinomori Aken'Ova et al, 2009 (Opecoelidae) respectively infecting two marine fish, the European sea eel Anguilla anguilla (Anguillidae) captured from Alexandria City coast, Mediterranean Sea and the spotted coral grouper Plectropomus maculatus
(Serranidae) from coasts of Suez Gulf and Hurghada of the Red Sea, both species captured during the year 2015. The morphology and morphometric characterization were carried out by light microscopy. L. priacanthi characterized by elongated body measured 2.11±0.20mm (1.93-2.54) in length with tapered conical anterior and cylindrical wide posterior ends, supplied with a very short retracted tail with blunt end and two large oval testes. This species is unique by two
compact, lobed masses of vitellaria just posterior to ovary. P. artherinomori characterized by elongated slender body measured 1.8±0.02mm (1.4-2.20) in length with a ventral sucker larger than oral sucker situated on a very short peduncle formed wrinkles around sucker. Both species were recorded for the first time from these host species in Egypt.

Keywords