Proposed life history of a new faustulid digenea in the Gulf of Mexico involving ctenophores and jellyfishes as the second intermediate hosts.

MARTORELLI, SERGIO R; OVERSTREET ROBIN; HEARD RICHARD

Mar del Plata

Simposio; Third International Jellyfish Blooms Symposium; 2010

INIDEP-UNLP

During examination of a zooplankton in Mississippi Sound for digeneans that mature in fishes a metacercaria of Bacciger (Digenea: Faustulidae) was observed in Mnemiopsis mccradyi, Beroe ovata, Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Phialidium languidum. A trichocercous cercaria developing in the stout razor clam Tagelus plebeius was found and these two larval stages seems to be coospecific with an adult forms of  Bacciger brevortii n. sp. infecting the Gulf menhaden Brevoortia patronus in the same area. The new species differs from the actually recognizes species of this genera mainly in the ovary position, the longer caeca, the more anterior position of the genital pore and by the different relative position between, testes, ovary and acetabulum. Based on morphometric studies on larvae, juvenile and adult parasites, the trophic relationships among those invertebrate and vertebrate hosts in the studied area, and laboratory experimental infections the life history of Bacciger brevoortii n. sp is proposed for the Gulf of Mexico waters.