Anthocephalum philruschi 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 philruschi

description: Anthocephalum philruschi n. sp.
(Figs. 1 H, 8 C–D, 9 F–J)
Type host. Himantura uarnak 2.
Type locality. Gulf of Carpentaria, Indian Ocean, (12°35'11"S, 141°42'34"E), Weipa, Queensland, Australia (CM03–13, CM03–24, CM03–25).
Site of infection. Spiral intestine.
Type material. Holotype (QM G234610); 2 paratypes (QM G234611, G234612); 2 paratypes (USNM 1251827, 1251828), 3 paratypes (LRP 8555–8557); hologenophore (LRP 8518).
Etymology. The species honors Philip Rusch for his dedicated interest in zoological endeavors of all kinds.
Description. Based on 9 whole mounts and 3 scoleces prepared for SEM. Worms slightly craspedote, euapolytic, 5.9–10.1 mm long, with 27–40 proglottids; maximum width 640–1100 at scolex. Scolex with 4 bothridia and short cephalic peduncle. Bothridia stalked, weakly folded, with 200–219 marginal loculi and inconspicuous round apical sucker; apical sucker 40–55 in diameter. Proximal surfaces of bothridial rims covered with acicular filitriches; proximal surfaces of marginal loculi covered with extremely densely arranged scolopate spinitriches, filitriches not seen (Figure 9 H), proximal non-locular bothridial surfaces covered with acicular filitriches (Figure 9 I). Distal bothridial surfaces and distal surfaces of apical suckers covered with small gladiate spinitriches and capilliform filitriches (Figure 9 J).
Immature proglottids initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity, length:width ratio at mid-strobila 1.2–2.5:1. Terminal proglottid 720–1,420 long by 140–360 wide, length:width ratio 2.7–6.9:1. Testes 17–25 in number, slightly oblong, 13–60 long by 20–70 wide, arranged in 2 regular columns anterior to cirrus-sac. Cirrus-sac oval, posteriorly recurved, 113–204 long by 69–150 wide, containing coiled cirrus; cirrus armed with spinitriches. Vas deferens dorsal, coiled, anterior to cirrus-sac, expanded and descending to ovarian bridge in terminal proglottids. Genital pores lateral, 31–61% of proglottid length from posterior end, irregularly alternating. Vagina sinuous, extending 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, essentially symmetrical, 150–520 long by 90–130 wide. Ovicapt at posterior margin of ovarian bridge, ventral, 20–40 in diameter. Uterus median, ventral, extending from ovarian bridge to anterior margin of proglottid; uterine duct inconspicous. Vitellarium follicular; follicles 10–25 long by 30–60 wide, in 2 lateral bands; each band consisting 2–4 dorsal and 2–4 ventral columns of follicles, extending from near anterior to near posterior margin of proglottid, interrupted by ovary and cirrus-sac, post-poral follicles present. Excretory ducts lateral, consisting of 1 dorsal and 1 ventral pair.
Remarks. Anthocephalum philrushi n. sp. differs from all described species of Anthocephalum in having a greater number of marginal loculi (200–219 vs. less than 200 in all other species). It most closely resembles A. cairae (with 197–198 loculi) in this respect, but can be further distinguished from the latter species in its possession of fewer testes (17–25 vs. 28–52) and fewer proglottids (27–40 vs. 80–110).
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 71-73, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/287633