Caulobothrium pieroi Menoret & Ivanov 2023, n. sp.
Creators: name: Menoret, Adriana
name: Ivanov, Verónica A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Platyhelminthes
Cestoda
Tetraphyllidea
Anindobothriidae
Caulobothrium
Caulobothrium pieroi

description: Caulobothrium pieroi n. sp.   
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B074FCF2-6E2E-4943-A86D-79D38AA01729  
(Figs. 4–6)  
 Type host: Pseudobatos horkelii (Müller and Henle), Brazilian guitarfish (Rhinopristiformes: Rhinobatidae).   
 Type locality: Puerto Quequén (38°37’S; 58°53’W), Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, southwestern Atlantic.   
 Site of infection: Spiral intestine of P. horkelii.   
 Prevalence of infection: 50% (2 hosts infected out of 4 Brazilian guitarfishes examined).   
 Material deposited: Holotype (mature worm) MACN-Pa No. 779, 7 paratypes (2 mature worms, 5 strobilae without scolex) MACN-Pa No. 780/1–7.   
Additional specimens (histological sections and specimens prepared for SEM) retained in the personal collection of Adriana Menoret.  
 Etymology: This species is named in memory of Piero Nardi Pantoli.   
 Description: Based on 8 whole mounts including 3 mature worms (2 complete worms and 1 worm with a bothridium), and 5 strobilae (4 with mature proglottids and 1 with terminal gravid proglottid); and histological sections of 1 terminal mature proglottid.   
Clade 4: Worms apolytic, 4.7–6.1 (5.3 ± 0.6, n = 3) mm long; greatest width at the level of scolex; proglottids acraspedote, 8–22 (14 ± 5, n = 7) per worm (Fig. 4A). Scolex 755–825 (n = 2) long, 660–675 (n = 2) wide, composed of 4 stalked bothridia, facially loculate bothridia (Fig. 4A, B). Bothridia canoe-shaped, 680–850 (758 ± 63, n = 3) long, 170–280 (225 ± 16, n = 3) wide, with muscular rims. Distal bothridial surface divided by 21–22 (21 ± 1, n = 3) transverse septa delimiting 2 columns of 20–21 (20.5 ± 0.5, n = 3) loculi per column, anteriormost single loculus bearing apical sucker, and posteriormost loculi double, resulting of a total of 43–45 (44 ± 1, n = 3) loculi per bothridium; (Fig. 4A, B, 6A, B, Table 1). Bothridial stalks shorts, fan-shaped. Cephalic peduncle distinct, muscular, 300–670 (417 ± 187, n = 5) long, 100–255 (188 ± 63, n = 5) wide.  
Immature proglottids 7–21 (13 ± 5, n = 7) in number, initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity. Single terminal mature proglottid, longer than wide, 770–1,275 (997 ± 180, n = 6) long, 207–330 (278 ± 38, n = 6) wide, length to width ratio 2.7–4.8 (3.6 ± 0.7, n = 6): 1 (Fig. 4A, C). Single gravid proglottid, 1,275 (n = 1) long, 410 (n = 1) wide, length to width ratio 3.1(n = 1): 1. No detached gravid proglottids were seen.  
Genital pores lateral, alternating irregularly, 27–32% (29 ± 2, n = 7) of proglottid length from posterior margin of proglottid. Testes oval, 44–59 (52 ± 6, n = 5) long, 32–52 (44 ± 8, n = 5) wide, 33‒47 (39 ± 6, n = 4) in number, arranged in 2–3 regular columns, 1 layer deep in cross section, each column extending from near anterior margin of proglottid to posterior margin of ovary. Genital atrium short, narrow (Figs. 4A, C, 5A, B, C). Cirrus sac elongate oval, slightly curved antero-medially from genital pore, thin walled, 75–107 (93 ± 17, n = 3) long, 42–57 (50 ± 7, n = 3) wide, extending to near midline of proglottid, containing cirrus unarmed (Figs. 4C, 5B). Vas deferens extending anteriorly from beyond the sac, entering cirrus sac anteriorly. Vagina simple tubular, extending medially from ootype, passing ventral and turning anteriorly to cirrus sac, opening into genital atrium anterior to cirrus; vaginal sphincter and seminal receptacle not observed (Fig. 4C, 5A, C).  
Ovary lobulated, poral lobe 285–600 (405 ± 110, n = 6), aporal lobe slightly shorter than poral lobe, 270–590 (408 ± 115, n = 6) long, maximum width 100–160 (133 ± 21, n = 6), H-shaped in dorso-ventral view, tetralobed in cross-section at level of ovarian isthmus (Figs. 4C, 5C). Vitellarium follicular; vitelline follicles wider than long, 25–35 (28 ± 7, n = 4) long, 17–28 (22 ± 4, n = 4) wide, 1–2 dorsal and 1–2 ventral columns on each lateral margin of proglottid, not interrupted by ovary (Figs. 4A, C, 5A, B, C). Mehlis’ gland posterior to ovarian isthmus. Uterus saccate, ventral, extending to near anterior third of proglottid; uteroduct observed (Figs. 4C, 5C). Osmoregulatory ducts 4, 1 dorsal and 1 ventral pairs, medial to vitelline follicles.
description: Published as part of Menoret, Adriana & Ivanov, Verónica A., 2023, Cestodes of Pseudobatos horkelii (Müller and Henle) (Rhinopristiformes) including Rhinebothrium quequense n. sp. (Rhinebothriidea) and Caulobothrium pieroi n. sp. (" Tetraphyllidea ") from the southwestern Atlantic, pp. 87-102 in Zootaxa 5361 (1) on pages 93-94, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5361.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/10151316