ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL

A NEW SPECIES OF NEOECHINORHYNCHUS STILES & HASSALL, 1905

(EOACANTHOCEPHALA: NEOECHINORHYNCHIDAE) PARASITE PELLONA CASTELNAEANA

VALLENCIENNES, 1847 (CLUPEIFORMES: PRISTIGASTERIDAE) OF THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

UNA NUEVA ESPECIE DEL NEOECHINORHYNCHUS STILES & HASSALL, 1905

(EOACANTHOCEPHALA: NEOECHINORHYNCHIDAE) PARÁSITO DEL PELLONA

CASTELNAEANA VALLENCIENNES, 1847 (CLUPEIFORMES: PRISTIGASTERIDAE) DE LA

AMAZONÍA BRASILEÑA

1Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia – INPA, Laboratório de Parasitologia de Peixes, Manaus,

Amazonas, Brasil

*Corresponding author: atjsouza15@gmail.com

1,* 1

Amanda K. S. de Souza & José Celso de O. Malta

ABSTRACT

Keywords: Fish parasite – Taxonomy – Acanthocephala – Catalão – Brazilian Amazonia

This work describes a new species of the genus Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905, a parasite

found in Pellona castelnaeana Vallenciennes, 1847 collected in the Catalan lakes complex of the

Brazilian Amazon. This species differs from the other ones on account of bearing anterior and posterior

testes, long cement gland and long lemniscus approaching the posterior testis. The size of its trunk, hooks

and male reproductive system, distinguishes it from other species of the genus, which have been described

in Brazil.

Neotropical Helminthology

227

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic:227-233.

RESUMEN

Palabras clave: Acanthocephala – Amazonía brasileña – Catalão – Parásitos de peces – taxonomía

Este trabajo describe una nueva especie del género Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905, un parásito

encontrado en Pellona castelnaeana Vallenciennes, 1847 colectadas en el complejo de lagos Catalán de

la Amazonía Brasileña. Esta especie se diferencia de las demás por presentar testículos anterior y posterior

y glándula de cemento larga, lemniscos largos acercándose al testículo posterior. El tamaño de su tronco,

ganchos y sistema reproductivo masculino lo distingue de las demás especies del género descritas para

Brasil.

ÓrganooficialdelaAsociaciónPeruanadeHelmintologíaeInvertebradosAfines(APHIA)

Lima-Perú

VersiónImpresa:ISSN2218-6425VersiónElectrónica:ISSN1995-1043

Volume13,Number2(jul-dec2019)

In Brazil, only nine species have been described in

Brazil so far. Members of the family

Pristigasteridae are distributed worldwide, with

approximately 9 genera and 38 species of fish

marine and coastal, five occur in the Amazon

Basin; for example, Pristigaster cayana Cuvier,

1829, Pristigaster whiteheadi Menezes, de &

Pinna, 2000, Ilisha amazonica (Miranda Ribeiro,

1920), Pellona flavipinnis (Valenciennes, 1836)

and Pellona castelnaeana Vallenciennes, 1847

(FAO, 1850).

Pellona castelnaeana, with common names of

'apapa', is endemic to the Amazon Basin. This

species is considered piscivorous. P. castelnaeana

is an important in controlling of prey species.

Out of the 109 species described as belonging to the

genus Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905,

seven are relegated to other genera, 14 are

considered invalid, 11 belong to the subgenus

H e b e s o m a , 48 belong to the subg enus

Neoechinorhynchus and 29 are retained as valid but

cannot be assigned to any one subgenus (Amin,

2002). Thirty-two (36%) of the recognized species

occur in North American hosts (particularly

freshwater fish), but this proportion may be due to

sampling efforts because the fauna of fish in the

neotropics remains poorly known (Amin, 2002).

The present study describes a new species of

Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) a

parasite of P. castelnaeana, collected from a

floodplain lake in the Amazon, and distinguishes it

from other related species that have been reported

previously.

The fish were collected from the Catalão Lake, a

fluvial-lacustrine system at the confluence of the

Negro and Solimões rivers (03 10`04” S,

59 54`45”W). The fish were necropsied in the field

and their bodies were fixed, labeled and analyzed

in the Laboratory of Fish Parasitology at the

National Research Institute of Amazonia (INPA).

Specimens of the phylum Acanthocephala were

collected and processed using Carmin alcoholic

regressive staining techniques (Amato et al., 1991)

cleared in immersion oil and mounted in Canada

balsam. Drawings were made with the aid of a

lightfield Olympus BH-2 microscope. All

measurements are presented in micrometer (µm)

unless otherwise indicated and expressed as the

range, followed by the mean and standard

deviation between brackets.

Ethic Aspects:

To collect this material, a license from the ethics

and animal use committee CEUA - INPA 036/2016

was used.

Systematic section

Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) pellonis

sp. n.

Description based on 10 males, 1 mature and

gravid female mounted in toto:

G e n e r a l . N e o e c h i n o r h y n c h i d a e ,

Neoechinorhynchinae with characters of the genus

and subgenus Neoechinorhynchus.

Trunk aspinose, fusiform curved ventrally, six

giant nuclei present in the body wall (5 dorsal and 1

ventral). Prosboscis short, globular, slightly longer

than wide. Proboscide with three circles with six

hooks each. Proboscide receptacle long, simple,

single-walled sac. Lemnisci elongate, unequal.

Testes elongate, contiguous, postequatorial.

Cement-gland syncytial, cement reservoir

elongate, and saefftigen's pouch present. Genital

pore terminal in males and subterminal in females.

Eggs elliptical and elongate, with concentric shell

with no fertilization membrane polar prolongation.

Male: (Based on five male specimens) (Figure 1 –

2). Trunk 9860-3740 (6100 ± 2700) X 800 - 600

(500 ± 200). Hypodermis 320 – 810. Neck 1000

(1000) X 70 - 100 (80 ± 10). Proboscis 300-100

(200 ± 90) X 200-70 (100 ± 50). Longer lemniscus

1530-600 (900 ± 300) X 60-30 (50 ± 10). Length of

proboscis hooks in anterior circle 100 (100), in

middle circle 30 (30) in posterior circle 20 (20).

Neck 100 (100) x 80 – 100 (80±10). Proboscis

receptacle 500-600 (580±40) X 70-90 (80 ± 660).

INTRODUCTION

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic

228

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Souza & Malta

RESULTS

Testes cylindrical: anterior testis 500 - 2200 (1070

± 660) X 100 (100). Posterior testis 600-2040

(1140±600) X 100-300 (140 ±90). Cement gland

700-2890 (1350 ± 890) X 80 - 100 (90±10).

Saefftigen's pouch 200-500 (300±130) X 100-200

(140 ±24). Seminal vesicle 170-300 (200±50) X 70

- 130 (90 ±23). Male reproductive system occupies

54-74% of body length.

Female (based on 01 pregnant specimen)(Figure

3). Trunk 10200x510. Hypodermis 1000.

Proboscis hooks in the anterior circle 100; the

middle circle 30, the posterior circle 20. Neck

70x50. Proboscis receptacle 850x100. Longer

leminiscus 560x50, shorter leminiscus 450x50.

Utero 70x50. Genital pore sub-terminal.

Reproductive system 1020x100, occupying 14%

of trunk length. Female larger than male, mature

elliptic eggs 40x10 with polar prolongation in

fertilization membrane.

Comparison between Neoechinorhyncus pellonis

n. sp. and other species of Neoechinorhyncus

(Table 1).

Type-material. Holotype: 1 ♂and 1♀/ Type host:

Pellona castelnaeana.

Site of infestation: upper Intestine.

Type Locality at Catalão fluvial-lacustrine system,

the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers

near Manaus city.

Specimens deposited Holotype: Male - Inpa 019

Non-insect Invertebrate Collection INPA;

Paratipes: Male - Inpa 020 Female - Inpa 021.

Etymology: Its name is derived from the host's

name.

Prevalence: 38%

229

Table 01. Comparison between Neoechinorhyncus pellonis n. sp. and other species of Neoechinorhyncus. All

measurements expressed in micrometers. AH – anterior hook, MH- middle hook and PH- posterior hook; TL –

trunck length, CG – cement gland, IS – infection site.

Species / Host AH, MH, PH TL (trunk) cG IS Distribution

N. (N.) pellonis/ P. castelnaeana

Male

Female

100, 30,20

100, 30, 20

6100

10200

1350

Intestine

Amazonas

N. (N.) veropesoi/ Plagiosciom

squamosissimus

Male

Female

67.9, 22,2, 12

87,1, 25,5, 13,8

2800

5870

203,6

Small intestine

Pará - Guajará Bay

N. (N.) pterodoridis/ Pterodoras. granulosus

Male

Female

143, 45, 10

139, 39, 12

2250

2700

336

Intestine

Amazonas

N. (N.) pimelodi/ Pimelodus maculatus

Male

Female

105, 36, 23

129, 47, 29

1450

2440

162

intestine

Mato Grosso – São

Francisco River

N. (N.) buttenerae/ Colossoma

macropomum

Male

Female

135, 100, 30

No date

22000

30000

5000

Intestine

Amazonas

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic A new species of Acanthocephala

230



100mµ

300mµ

Figures 1-3. 1 – Male of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) pellonis sp. n.: T – testes, C – cement gland, L – lemniscus, S –

Saefftingens, SV – spermatic vesicle, B - bursa; 2 – Proboscis; 3 - proboscis hooks.

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic Souza & Malta

231

4

5

S

RS

L

P

R



300mµ

Figures 4 and 5. 4 – Female of N. (N) pellonis sp. n.: L - lemniscus, R – proboscis receptacle; 5 – P posterior region, RS –

reproductive systems.

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic A new species of Acanthocephala

232

In Brazil, nine new species of Neoechinorhynchus

(Neoechinorhynchus) have been registered: N. (N.)

buttnerae Golvan, 1956; N. (N.) curemai Noronha,

1973; N. (N.) macronucleatus Machado Filho,

1954; N. (N.) paraguayensis Machado Filho, 1959;

N. (N.) pimelodi Brasil-Sato & Pavanelli; 1998; N.

(N.) pterodoridis Thatcher, 1981 and N.(N.)

veropesoi Melo et al. 2013 (Brasil-Sato &

Pavanelli, 1998; Martins et al., 2000; Amin, 2002;

Thatcher, 2006; Santos et al., 2008).

Neoechinorhynchus (N.) buttnerae; N. (N.)

pterodoridis; and N. (N.) curemai have been

registered in the Amazon region (Salgado-

Maldonado, 1978; Noronha, 1984; Thatcher, 2006,

Santos et al., 2008). More recently N. (N.)

veropesoi (Melo, 2013). This species was

compared with the species occurring in the

Amazon region.

Neoechinorhynchus (N.) pellonis sp. n. shows most

similarity to N. (N.) veropesoi collected in the

estuary of the Guamá River and the neighbouring

Guajará Bay in areas adjacent to the city of Belém

in the state of Pará (Melo et al., 2013). The

proboscis and lemnisci of N. (N.) pellonis sp. n. are

larger than those of N. (N.) veropesoi. The male

reproductive system of the N. (N.) pellonis

occupies 54 - 74% of its cavity, beyond the

equatorial zone.

Hooks (anterior, medium and posterior) of N. (N.)

pellonis sp. n. are bigger than those of N. (N.)

veropesoi. They are smaller than those of N. (N.)

piterodoridis and N. (N.) pimelodis. The shape of

the testicles differs from that of the four compared

species, since in N. (N.) pellonis sp. n. the testicles

are cylindrical-shaped and smaller sized different

from those of Neoechinorhynchus (N.) buttnerae,

N. (N.) pterodoridis, N. (N.) pimelodis and N. (N.)

veropesoi. Approaching the of buttnerae format

that the longest species have.

The cement gland of N. (N.) pellonis sp. n. is

smaller than that of N. (N.) pterodoridis and N.(N.)

veropesoi and larger than that of N.(N.) pimelodis.

The cement gland is more elongated than wide. Its

shape showed to be circular when compared to that

of the other species.

The morphological study shows similarities

between the anatomy of N. (N.) pimellodis sp. n., N.

(N.) veropesoi, N. (N.) pterodoridis and N. (N.)

pimelodis as well as significant differences

between their main organs.

Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae has the longest

trunk when compared to the other species

belonging to the genus Neoechinorhyncus, which

have been registered for Brazil. All other

specimens recorded to date have a trunk length

much smaller than that of N. buttnerae. In N.

pellonis it is possible to observe that both male and

female have the longest trunk, especially the N.

pellonis female, which presents the longest trunk

among the females, following that of buttnerae.

Of the species that occur in the Amazon, this new

species described here is most similar with. Of the

other species, n pellonis is most closely similar to

N. veropesoi. The new species, however, has: 1) a

markedly longer trunk, with male reproductive

system occupying most of the trunk cavity; 2) a

much thicker hypodermis; 3) a markedly longer

proboscis; 4) proboscis hooks longer and equal-

lengthed between male and female; 5) a cement

gland larger than the testis.

DISCUSSION

Amato, JFR, Boeger, WA & Amato, SB. 1991.

Protocolos para laboratório-coleta e

processamento de parasitas do pescado.

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Imprensa

Universitária, Universidade Federal do Rio

de Janeiro. 81 pp.

Amin, OM. 2002. Revision of Neoechinorhynchus

Stiles & Hassal, 1905 (Acanthocephala:

Neoechinorhynchidae) with keys to 88

species in two subgenera. Systematic

parasitology, vol. 53, pp. 1-18.

Brasil-Sato, MC & Pavanelli. GC. 1998.

Neoechinorhynchus pimelodi sp.n.

( E o a c a n t h o c e p h a l a ,

Neoechinorhynchidae) parasitizing

Pimelodus maculatus Lacépede, "mandi-

amarelo" (Siluroidei, Pimelodidae) from

the basin of the São Francisco river, Três

Marias, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Revista

brasileira de Zoologia, vol. 15, pp. 1003-

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Received August 29, 2019.

Accepted november 10, 2019.

Neotropical Helminthology, 2019, 13(2), jul-dic A new species of Acanthocephala