Dactylogyrus is the largest helminth genus, with more than 900 nominal species, and is consequently in a state of considerable confusion. In an attempt to consolidate our knowledge of this large taxon, this work surveys the nominal species and catalogues them and their hosts (to the generic level) in the form of a species list which is cross-referenced to host-parasite list. A reference list to the authorities for the taxa is included.

Eight new species of Ligophorus Euzet & Suriano, 1977 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) are described from two species of mullets from the Red Sea. Ligophorus bykhowskyi n. sp. and L. zhangi n. sp. from Crenimugil crenilabris (Forsskål) differ from other species of the genus in the structure of the male copulatory organ, which has a simple accessory piece and a wide copulatory tube that arises from a large, single-chambered, expanded base. Ligophorus simpliciformis n. sp., L. bipartitus n. sp., L. campanulatus n. sp., L. mamaevi n. sp., L. lebedevi n. sp. and L. surianoae n. sp. from Liza carinata (Valenciennes) are differentiated on the basis of the morphometrics of the hard parts of the haptor and male copulatory organ. The eight species represent the first records of species directly attributed to Ligophorus from the Red Sea. Measurements of the haptoral hard-parts and the male copulatory organ of the new species are analysed with the aid of Principal Component Analysis. Three morphological types of male copulatory organ, five types of anchor, and two types of ventral and three types of dorsal bars were distinguished among these species. L. bykhowskyi and L. zhangi from C. crenilabris have the same type of male copulatory organ and anchors. Those species from Liza carinata have only one common morphological character, a thick copulatory tube, but have two types of accessory piece, four types of anchors and three types of bars. All species of Ligophorus found on mullets in the Red Sea have an accessory piece without a distal bifurcation and thus differ from most species of this genus from other regions of the world's oceans.

Ligophorus llewellyni n. sp. (Ancyrocephalidae: Ligophorus Euzet & Suriano, 1977) is described from the gills of Liza haematocheilus (Temminck & Schlegel) introduced into the Black Sea from the Far East. Ligophorus llewellyni is closely related to L. pilengas Sarabeev & Balbuena, 2004, which parasitises the same host species. The two species differ in the morphology of the accessory piece of the copulatory organ and in some of the characters of the haptoral hard-parts. The morphometric variability of L. llewellyni and in its morphologically most similar congeners from the Black Sea is studied. Correlations between 30 morphometric characters of the haptoral hard-parts and the significance of each for species differentiation are examined. It is suggested that only 22 characters are useful as diagnostic criteria permitting the differentiation of morphologically similar species of Ligophorus.

The taxonomy of Dactylogyrus Diesing, 1850 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae), like that of most monopisthocotyleans, relies heavily on the morphology of sclerites of the posterior attachment organ (haptor). However, the associated neuromusculature is essentially unknown and, therefore, the aim of this study was to use confocal microscopy to examine the haptoral neuromusculature in two species of Dactylogyrus: D. amphibothrium Wagener, 1857 and D. crucifer Wagener, 1857. The monogeneans were stained with phalloidin for muscle and with antibodies for FMRFamide and 5HT and confocal reflectance microscopy was used to visualise the sclerites (i.e. anchors, marginal hooks and bars). Both species had a similar architecture of the anchoral musculature, with a pair of extrinsic muscles, two interconnecting muscles and muscles attached to the haptoral wall, anchoral openings and a connecting bar. The musculature of most marginal hooks consisted of retractors and protractors inserted on the proximal ends of the hooks. The two species differed significantly in the musculature of the accessory ventral bar: D. crucifer had a four-rayed bar with an elaborate musculature associated with the marginal hooks and D. amphibothrium had a rod-shaped bar with simple musculature. Patterns of neurotransmitter immunoreactivity (IR) in the haptor were similar in both species: RFamide-IR cells were clustered in a pair of pre-anchoral ganglia interconnected by a neurite bundle, 5HT-IR cells formed a ventral loop projecting neurites to the marginal hooks. The functional roles of haptoral muscles and patterns of neurotransmitters are discussed. In D. crucifer, the confocal reflectance microscopy revealed an additional sclerite (accessory dorsal bar) that had never been described previously in this or any other species of Dactylogyrus, suggesting that the reflected-light technique might be useful in identifying sclerites undetectable by conventional methods.

A redescription of Ligophorus mediterraneus Sarabeev, Balbuena & Euzet, 2005, based on original material from the Black and Mediterranean Seas, is presented and new diagnostic characters for its recognition are proposed. The unlikely wide range of variation in the angle between the shaft and point of the anchors, reported for this species and for some others in the genus, is analysed, and the structure of the ventral bar in Ligophorus spp. is described and its taxonomic significance discussed.