Anthocephalum healyae Ruhnke, Caira & Cox, 2015, n. sp.
Creators: name: Ruhnke, Timothy R.
name: Caira, Janine N.
name: Cox, Allison
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Platyhelminthes
Cestoda
Rhinebothriidea
Rhinobothriidae
Anthocephalum
Anthocephalum healyae

description: Anthocephalum healyae n. sp.
(Figs. 1 B, 2C–D, 3F–J)
Type host. Neotrygon kuhlii 4.
Type locality. Gulf of Carpentaria off Weipa (12°35'11"S, 141°42'34"E), Queensland, Australia (CM03–42, CM03–46 and CM03–47).
Additional locality: Arafura Sea east of the Wessel Islands (11°17'44"S, 136°59'48"E), Northern Territory, Australia (NT–85).
Site of infection. Spiral intestine.
Type material. Holotype (QM G234600); 2 paratypes (QM G234601, G234602); 2 paratypes (USNM 1251810, 1251811), 3 paratypes (LRP 8525–8527), hologenophore (LRP 8512).
Etymology. The species is named for Dr. Claire Healy, in honor of her contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of the Rhinebothriidea.
Description. Based on 10 whole mounts and 3 scoleces prepared for SEM. Worms craspedote, euapolytic, 12.2–22 mm long, with 105–133 proglottids; maximum width 730–1,500 at scolex. Scolex with 4 bothridia and short cephalic peduncle. Bothridia stalked, elongate when relaxed, with 150–171 marginal loculi and inconspicuous apical sucker. Proximal surfaces of bothridial rims covered with acicular filitriches; proximal surfaces of marginal loculi with small scolopate spinitriches and acicular filitriches throughout (Figures 3 G, H); proximal non-locular bothridial surfaces covered with acicular filitriches (Figure 3 I). Distal bothridial surfaces covered with small gladiate spinitriches and capilliform filitriches (Figure 3 J).
Immature proglottids initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity, length:width ratio at mid-strobila 0.6–2:1. Terminal proglottid 970–1,500 long by 220–510 wide, length:width ratio 1.9–5:1. Testes 32–50 in number, round to oblong, 36–60 long by 50–70, arranged in 2–4 irregular columns anterior to cirrus-sac. Cirrus-sac recurved posteriorly, 120–256 long by 72–128 wide, containing coiled cirrus; cirrus armed with spinitriches. Vas deferens dorsal, coiled anterior to cirrus-sac, expanded and descending to ovarian bridge. Genital pores lateral, 30–37% of proglottid length from posterior end, irregularly alternating. Vagina sinuous, extends from Mehlis’ gland anteriorly, then ventral and lateral to cirrus-sac, opening into genital atrium. Ovary near posterior end of proglottid, H-shaped in frontal view, symmetrical, 140–400 long by 140–322 wide. Ovicapt at posterior margin of ovarian bridge, ventral, 40–50 in diameter. Oviduct ventral, extending posteriorly to level of Mehlis’ gland. Uterus median, ventral, extending from ovarian bridge to anterior margin of proglottid; uterine duct inconspicuous. Vitellarium follicular; follicles 13–25 long by 33–65 wide, in 2 lateral bands; each band consisting of 3–4 dorsal and 3–4 ventral columns of follicles, extending from near anterior margin to near posterior margin of proglottid, interrupted by ovary and cirrus-sac, post-poral follicles lacking. Excretory ducts lateral, consisting of 1 dorsal and 1 ventral pair.
Remarks. Of the ten species of Anthocephalum described to date, A. healyae n. sp. differs from nine in possessing a greater number of marginal loculi (150–171 vs. less than 150 in A. alicae, A. currani, A. decrisantisorum, A. gracile, A. kingae, A. lukei, A. michaeli and A. wedli). With respect to A. cairae Ruhnke, 1994, in addition to bearing fewer marginal loculi (150–171 vs. 197–198), this new species possesses a less conspicuous apical sucker and lacks, rather than possesses, testes in the antiporal region of the proglottid.
description: Published as part of Ruhnke, Timothy R., Caira, Janine N. & Cox, Allison, 2015, The cestode order Rhinebothriidea no longer family-less: A molecular phylogenetic investigation with erection of two new families and description of eight new species of Anthocephalum, pp. 51-81 in Zootaxa 3904 (1) on pages 59-63, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/287633