ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043
ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL
MAZOCRAEOIDES MAKRODEMAS SP. N. (POLYOPISTHOCOTYLEA: MAZOCRAEIDAE)
FROM THE GILLS OF PELLONA CASTELNAEANA VALENCIENNES, 1847
(CLUPEIFORMES: PRISTIGASTERIDAE) IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
MAZOCRAEOIDES MAKRODEMAS SP. N. (POLYOPISTHOCOTYLEA: MAZOCRAEIDAE)
DE LAS BRANQUIAS DE PELLONA CASTELNAEANA VALENCIENNES, 1847
(CLUPEIFORMES: PRISTIGASTERIDAE) EN LA AMAZONIA BRASILEÑA
Laboratório de parasitologia de peixes – LPP
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia – INPA, Brazil
*atjsouza15@hotmail.com / danielbporto81@gmail.com / jcmalta10@gmail.com
Amanda Karen Silva de Souza*; Daniel Brito Porto & José Celso de Oliveira Malta
ABSTRACT
Keywords: Amazon – Fish parasites – Freshwater – Monogenoidea – Solimões River
The first species of Monogenoidea gill parasites of the family Mazocraeidae is recorded for a freshwater
fish in Brazil. Mazocraeoides makrodemas sp. n. is described on Pellona castelnaeana from Catalão
Lake, in the Solimões River, State of Amazonas, Brazil. The main characteristics that differ from the
others are: anterior body portion three times bigger than the posterior one; two lateral and two internal
anchors.
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Neotropical Helminthology, 2017, 11(2), jul-dic: 343-348
RESUMEN
Palabras clave: Agua Dulce – Amazonas – Monogenoidea – Parásitos de los peces – Río Solimões
La primera espécie de parásitos branquiales de Monogenoidea de la familia Mazocraeidae se ha registrado
para un pez de agua dulce en Brasil. Mazocraeoides makrodemas n. sp. se describe en Pellona
castelnaeana del Lago catalán em el río Solimões, Estado de Amazonas, Brasil. Las principales
características que difieren de los otros son: la parte anterior del cuerpo tres veces superior a la posterior;
dos áncoras laterales y dos áncoras internas.
INTRODUCTION
344
Parasitology Laboratory (LPP) of National
Research Institute of the Amazon (INPA).
The monogenoids were collected and fixed in 5%
formalin. Permanent slides were prepared in
Hoyer's medium. The drawings and measurements
were made with the aid of a light and micrometric
ocular camera coupled to the Olympus BH-2
optical microscope. The nomenclature adopted for
the clamp sclerites is that of Mamaev (1981),
namely: scleritum arcuatum anterius (SAA),
scleritum antero-lateralia (SAL), scleritum antero-
supplementarium, (SAS), scleritum medio-basale
(SMB), scleritum medio-supplementarium (SMS),
scleritum postero-supplementarium (SPS),
scleritum arcuatum posterius (SAP) and scleritum
labiatum (SL).
The measuring methods adopted for the haptoral
hooks and the copulatory spines are those of
Agrawal & Sharma (1988). The average
measurement is followed by the range and number
(n) of specimens measured in parentheses and the
standard error. Holotype and paratypes were
deposited in the helminth collections of the
National Research Institute of the Amazon,
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
Mazocraeoides makrodemas sp. n. (Figs. 1 – 2)
Description: Body clavate with 4 pairs of clamps
on margin of posterior body region (Fig. 1).
Haptoral zone embraces testis and ovary. Haptor
with two pairs of anchors, one in the center and one
in the side. Worm length 4.26 (2.75-7.5) ±1.29,
width 0.32 (0.1-0.51) ±0,12 at the widest part and
0.08 (0.1-0.5) ±0.02 at the narrowest; haptoral size
0.8 (0.5-0,8) x 0.51 (0.3-0,7) ± 0.11, the anterior
region distal to the body is narrow and widens
progressively to the haptor and is about three times
larger than the haptoral region.. Haptor sub-
rectangular, longer than wide. Four pairs of clamps
of open type equal in size with short peduncles, but
very visible and defined, they have 5 sclerites:
SAA, SMB, SPS, SAP and SL. Clamps similar in
shape, sub-equal, asymmetrical; 1, 2, 3, 4 – 0.17
(0.1-0,3) × 0.16 (0.1- 0.2) ±0.06 in diameter. SAA
semicircular extending to meet the SAP. SMB sub-
pentagonal with six parallel irregular shaped holes,
The fish species of the family Pristigasteridae are
included in nine genera and 38 marine species.
Four freshwater species occur in the Amazon
region, Pellona castelnaeana Valenciennes (1847),
P. flavipinnis (Valenciennes, 1836), Pristigaster
cayana Cuvier (1829) and Ilisha amazonica
(Miranda Ribeiro, 1920).
Mazocraeidae Price (1936) is a type family of the
suborder Mazocraeinea, the largest one of higher
monogeneans in Bykhovsky's system. However,
this family remains one of the least examined ones.
This is first of all due to the extreme mazocraeid
clamp structure's complexity. The clamps are much
modified: some elements of clamp skeleton fused,
supplementary sclerites are formed by
sclerotization of fibrous-based substations of the
clamp walls. Most sclerites are very broad but thin,
they overlap one another and are poorly visible.
That is why almost all the works on mazocraeids
have the most general and very rough pictures of
their clamps. There are only a few articles in which
mazocraeid clamps are carefully examined
(Bykhovsky & Nagibina, 1954; Llewellyn, 1957;
Mamaev, 1981).
Three parasitic species are reported for P.
castelnaeana, all of which in the Amazon region.
One species of Digenea Bacciger pellonae
Thatcher, 1992. One of Copepoda Acusicola
pellonidis Thatcher & Boeger, 1983. One of
Branchiura Dolops carvalhoi Lemos de castro,
1949 (Malta & Varella, 1983). In this work the first
parasitic species of Monogenoidea was described
for P. castelnaeana.
Sixty-three individuals of P. castelnaeana were
collected in May, July, September and November
2015. In the Catalão lakes complex, the Solimões
River a fluvial-lacustrine system located at the
confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers, in the
municipality of Iranduba 03°10` 04"S and
59°54`45" W. The necropsies were performed in
the field; the gills were fixed in 5% formalin and
analyzed in a stereomicroscope at the Fish
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Neotropical Helminthology, 2017, 11(2), jul-dic Souza et al.
RESULTS
345
SPS overlapping the median portion of the SL in
shape-inverted "V". SAP split in two, smaller than
SL and located above SMB. SL broad and
overlaping the SAA.
Anterior end with a pair of suction cups 0.09 (0.1-
0.2) × 0.09 (0.1-0.2) ± 0.06. Oval pharynx, 0.05
(0.03-0.06) × 0.08 (0.05-0.09). Copulatory organ
below the intestinal bifurcation. Intestinal cecum
with lateral diverticula extending to the height of
the first pair of clamps. Single testis, elongated, 0.4
(0.3-0.6) × 0.05 (0.02- 0.07) smaller than the ovary
Neotropical Helminthology, 2017, 11(2), jul-dic A new species of the Mazocraeoides in the Amazon River.
in the haptoral region. Circular copulatory organ
0.03 (0.02-0.04) × 0.03 (0.02-0.04), armed with
eight large spines in equal sizes facing outwards.
Ovaries with two parts, one anterior and the other
posterior, connected by a filament, 0.6 (0.5-0.8) ×
0.1 (0.1-0.2) lie to right of testis. Follicular
vitelation, follicles densely distributed between the
level of intestinal bifurcation and the posterior
body extremity. Yolk ducts at ovary level. Vagina
not observed. Eggs 0.4 (0.3-0.05) × 0.05 (0.03-
0.06) with long filaments at the ends.
D
C
b
a
Figure 1. a) specimen of Mazocraeoides makrodemas sp. n., b) egg, c) genital crown and d) internal anchor and external anchor.
0,1mm
346
Taxonomic summary
Type-host and locality: Pellona castelnaeana
Valenciennes, 1847
Type-locality: Catalão lakes complex, the
Solimões River (03°10` 04"S and 59°54`45" W).
Prevalence: 15.41
Mean intensity of infestation: 1-3
Maen abundance: 0.2
Site: Gills.
Material deposited: Holotype INPA – 694;
Paratypes INPA – 695
0,1mm
b
c
d
e
f
Figure 2. a) Clamp, b) anterior arch sclerite (SAA), c) basal sclerite (SMB), d) posterolateral sclerite (SPL), e) posterolateral
supplementary scleritis (SPS), and f) labial scleritis (SL).
DISCUSSION
Etymology: The specific name is from the Greek
(makro = big + demas = body) and refers to the big
body size.
Mazocraeidae species were cited parasitizing
marine fish from India (Gupta & Krishna, 1976;
Gupta & Masoodi, 1985; Kritsky & Bilqees, 1972,
Neotropical Helminthology, 2017, 11(2), jul-dic Souza et al.
347
1936 from the marine fishes of Puri, Orissa.
India Journal of Helminthology, vol. 28:
127-140.
Gupta, PC & Masoodi, BA. 1985. Three species of
the genus Mazocraeoides Price, 1936
(family: Mazocraeidae) from marine fishes
at Puri cost, Orissa, India. Pakistan Journal
of Zoology, vol. 17, pp. 411-416.
Jianying, Z, Xuejuan, D, Qihua, P & Lin, L. 1998.
Tw o n e w s p e c i e s o f t h e f a m i l y
Mazocraeidae Price, 1936 (Monogenea) on
Clupeiform fishes from Guangdong, China.
Systematic Parasitology, vol. 41, pp. 115-
122.
Kohn, A & Santos, CL. 1988. First Report of
Mazocraeoides georgey Price, 1936 and
Mazocraeoides opistonema Hargis, 1955 in
Brazil with new synonyms (Monogenea:
Mazocraeidae). Memories Institute
Oswaldo Cruz, vol. 83, pp. 437-440.
Kritsky, DC, Bilqees, FM & Leiby, PD. 1972.
Studies on Monogenea of Pakistan. I.
Pseudochaiihanea elongatus sp. n.
(Gastrocotylidae: Gastrocotylinae) from
the gills of Labeo rohita (Ham.).
Proceedings of the Helminthological
Society of Washington, vol. 39, pp. 231-
233.
Kritsky, DC & Bilqees, FM. 1973. Studies on
M o n o g e n e a o f P a k i s t a n . I I
Polyopisthocothileans from the gills of
Pellona elongata (Bennett). Proceedings of
the Helminthological Society of
Washington, vol. 40, pp. 195-200.
Malta, JCO & Varella, AMB. 1983. Os argulídeos
(Crustacea: Branchiura) da Amazônia
brasileira, 3. Aspectos da ecologia de
Dolops striata (Bouvier, 1899) e D.
carvalhoi Castro, 1949. Acta Amazonica,
vol. 13, pp. 299-306.
Tavares, LER, Luque, JL & Bicudo, AJA. 2004.
Met a z o a n P arasites of Bra z i l i a n
Menhanden Brevoortia aurea (Spix &
Agazziz, 1829) (Osteichthyes: Clupeidae)
from the Coastal of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil.
Brazilian Journal of Biology, vol. 64, pp.
553-554.
Thatcher, VE & Boeger, WA. 1983. Patologia de
peixes da Amazônia Brasileira. 3,
Alterações histológicas das brânquias
provocadas por Ergasilus, Brasergasilus e
Acusicola (Copepoda, Cyclopoidea). Acta
1973), United States (McMalon, 1963), China
(Jianying et al., 1998), Brazil (Kohn & Santos,
1988; Tavares et al., 2004) and parasites of the
Engraulidae, Pristigasteridae and Clupeidae
families.
Nine species of Mazocraeoides are known: M.
georgei Price, 1936; M. clupei Gupta & Krishna,
1976; M. dussumieriai Gupta & Krishna, 1976; M.
gussevi Gupta & Masoodi, 1985; M. indica Gupta
& Krishna, 1976; M. jairajpurii Gupta &
Masoodi, 1985; M. pellonai Gupta & Krishna,
1976; M. puriensis Gupta & Krishna, 1976 and M.
prashadi Chauhan, (1950) (Gupta & Masoodi,
1978).
Mazocraeoides makrodemas differs from the nine
species of the genus because its anterior body
portion shows to be three times larger than the
posterior one. The haptoral has pedunculated
clamps, two lateral anchors and two internal
anchors. Single copulatory organ with eight long
and central spines. Sclerites mean basal, anterior
arch, lateral, posteral superior single. Elongated
testicle when compared to the species of the genus
and similar as to the location in the haptoral
portion. M. georgey presents three pairs anchors in
the haptor and non-pedunculated clamps.
For Brazil only two species of the genus
Mazocraeoides are registered parasitizing only
marine fish. Until the present study, there was no
record of monogenea for freshwater fish in Brazil
(Eiras et al., 2016).
In this work we recorded the first species of
Mazocraeidae parasitizing a Brazilian freshwater
fish of the family Pristigasteridae, P. castelnaeana,
and the second time that a species of the genus
Mazocraeoides parasitizes a fish of the genus
Pellona Valenciennes, 1847.
Eiras, JC, Velloso, AL & Pereira-Jr J. 2016.
Parasitos de peixes marinhos da América
do Sul. Rio Grande. Ed. FURG. 442p.
Gupta, PC & Masoodi, BA. 1978. On six new
species of the genus Mazocraeoides Price,
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Received March 1, 2017.
Accepted July 24, 2017.
Neotropical Helminthology, 2017, 11(2), jul-dic Souza et al.
