Trematodes from Red Sea fishes: Prosteganoderma brayi gen. nov., sp. nov. (Zoogonidae Odhner, 1902) and Forticulcita mugilis sp. nov. (Haploporidae Nicoll, 1914)

Abstract

Abstract Specimens of the fishes Scarus ghobban Forsskål (Scaridae) and Crenimugil crenilabis Forsskål (Mugilidae) were caught in the Red Sea off the coast of Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt. Ten (20 %) and 15 (50 %) of these fishes, respectively, were found to harbour intestinal trematodes. Scarus ghobban was parasitised by Prosteganoderma brayi gen. nov., sp. nov. (Zoogonidae) and C. crenilabis by Forticulcita mugilis sp. nov. (Haploporidae). Prosteganoderma gen. nov. is similar to Steganoderma Stafford, 1904, but clearly differs from it and from all the other genera of the subfamily Lepidophyllinae Stossich, 1903 in having a large ventral sucker surrounded by a large prominent fleshy fold of the body wall and a pre-testicular uterus. Forticulcita mugilis sp. nov. is similar to F. glabra Overstreet, 1982, the type and the only species of the genus, but clearly differs in having a larger body size, a longer forebody, an intestinal bifurcation in the middle of the body, subequal gonads, Laurer’s canal opening dorsally at a considerable distance posterior to the testis and a much larger egg size.