A new species of Ergasilus (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) from Geophagus altifrons and G. argyrostictus (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

A new species of ergasilid copepod, Ergasilus xinguensis n. sp., is described from females found on the gills of two cichlid fishes, Geophagus argyrostictus (Kullander, 1991) (type host) and G. altifrons (Heckel, 1840), from the Brazilian Amazon. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the unique combination of the following characteristics: the cephalothorax is not inflated and is slightly constricted, the first antennulary segment bears 3 setae, maxillule with 3 unequal outer setae without minute process medially, maxilla has a large syncoxa with one seta near its basis, first and fourth legs are with a 3-segmented endopod, base of the exopod in leg 2 with a conspicuous bluntly-pointed projection and caudal ramus with two rows of curved conical spinules on ventral surface. The new species is the second member of Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 found on cichlids of the genus Geophagus (Heckel).

First study on communities of parasites in Triportheus rotundatus, a Characidae fish from the Amazon River system (Brazil)

“…However, Ergasilus spp. have infested species of Characidae, Pimelodidae, Anostomidae and Cichlidae from the Amazon (TAVARES-DIAS et al, 2015;TABORDA et al, 2016). Twenty-two freshwater species of Ergasilus are known from the gills of Neotropical fish (TABORDA et al, 2016).…”

Low levels of crustacean parasite infestation in fish species from the Matapi River in the state of Amapá, Brazil

“…The gills were removed and analyzed using a stereomicroscope. The crustaceans found were fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol with 10% glycerin (EIRAS et al, 2006) and were then identified (LUQUE et al, 2013;TABORDA et al, 2016). The ecological terms used were those recommended by Bush et al (1997).…”

“…Among these, Argulus elongatus Heller, 1857, and Dolops reperta Bouvier, 1899, were the most prevalent. However, Ergasilus xinguensis Taborda, Paschoal & Luque, 2016, was the most abundant species, even though it only infested the cichlids Crenicichla johanna Heckel, 1840, Crenicichla cincta Regan, 1905and Geophagus camopiensis Pellegrin, 1903, and sciaenid Plagioscion squamosissimus Heckel, 1840 (Table 2). Branchiurans Table 2.…”

Diversity of ectoparasites and endoparasites infecting Brachyplatystoma vaillantii (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), a large migratory catfish from the Amazon

“…Ergasilidae is one of the largest families of Cyclopoida, and most species are found on freshwater fish (Tavares-Dias et al 2015). Only adult females of ergasilids are parasites on gills, fins, the interior nasal fossae, or embedded in host tissues or in the urinary bladder of teleost fish species, and rarely on the gills of elasmobranchs and bivalve mollusks (Taborda et al 2016). Ergasilus xinguensis was described initially on the cichlids Geophagus argyrostictus Kullander, 1991 and Geophagus altifrons Heckel, 1840 from the western Amazon (Taborda et al 2016).…”