STOMACHICOLA LYCENGRAULIDIS N. SP. (DIGENEA, HEMIURIDAE), PARASITE OF THE ATLANTIC SABRETOOTH ANCHOVY LYCENGRAULIS GROSSIDENS (CLUPEIFORMES, ENGRAULIDAE)

Abstract

This paper describes and illustrates a new species of digenetic trematode, parasitic in the stomach of the sabretooth anchovy Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829) from the Bahía Blanca estuary and the Paraná River, Argentina, designated as Stomachicola lycengraulidis n.sp. The new taxon differs from S. bayagbonai and S. singhi congeneric species from the Gulf of Guinea and Indian Ocean respectively, mainly in the body size, the structure of the reproductive system, the development of the ecsoma and the sinus sac. It differs from the first one mainly in the presence of two frontal protuberances at the level of the preoral lobe, which are absent in the specimens studied here. Also in general terms, S. bayagbonai is comprised of slightly larger individuals, with larger pharynx, testicles and ovary. And it differs from S. singhi by their smaller duct and hermaphroditic sac and for having a well developed seminal receptacle, which is absent in the Bay of Bengal specimens. When comparing the relative size of the ecsoma, we found significant differences among both of the populations of digeneans examined, the worms collected in the Paraná River was more developed than those from the Bahia Blanca estuary. The host, L. grossidens, migrates to the Paraná river in winter and spring and then, from December to March it makes a trophic migration towards the sea and is found all along the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires province. For this reason, it is here hypothesized that the relative development of the tail, is affected by environmental conditions, such as pH and osmolarity of the stomach, salinity and/or water temperature.