134 



H.W. PALM 



ined. As additional material, slides from the Natural History Mu- 

 seum, Vienna (NHMV No. 2111) and from the U.S. National 

 Parasite Collection, Beltsville (USNPC No. 7727 (Ml 30-6)) were 

 borrowed. Similarly, deposited Nybelinia species were studied in 

 the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN Paris), for 

 comparison. 



The following measurements were made: Scolex length (SL), 

 scolex width at level of pars bothridialis (SW), pars bothridialis 

 (pbo), pars vaginalis (pv), pars bulbosa (pb), pars postbulbosa (ppb), 

 velum (vel), appendix (app), bulb length (BL), bulb width (BW), 

 bulb ratio (BR), proportions of pbo/pv/pb (SP), tentacle width (TW), 

 and tentacle sheath width (TSW). If possible, the tentacle length was 

 estimated. Additionally, the tentacular armature was described as 

 follows: armature homeomorphous or heteromorphous, hooks per 

 half spiral row (hsr), total hook length (L) and the total length of the 

 base of the hooks (B). The abbreviation nm (not measured) indicates 

 that no measurement was taken. 



All measurements are given in micrometers unless otherwise 

 indicated. Specimens belonging to the same species from different 

 hosts or localities were measured in the same order as the specimens 

 are listed under Material examined. If more than two measurements 

 were taken, the mean is given with the range in parentheses, unless 

 otherwise indicated. Illustrations are provided if useful for future 

 identification of the species; otherwise the reader is referred to 

 illustrations of other authors. The classification follows that of Palm 

 (1995, 1997a) and the orientation of the tentacular surfaces follows 

 that of Campbell & Beveridge (1994). 



RESULTS 



A total of 17 species was identified, and 4 new species are described. 

 Nine new locality and 15 new host records were established. The 

 information on the single specimens measured with comments on 

 their taxonomy and distribution are given below. 



Superfamily TENTACULARIOIDEA Poche, 1926 

 Family TENTACULARIIDAE Poche, 1926 

 Genus NYBELINIA Poche, 1926 



1. Nybelinia aequidentata (Shipley & Hornell, 1906) 



(Figs 1-2) 



Material examined. BMNH 1992.7.1.193-196, A. Roy leg., 1 

 postlarva from Lepturacanthus savala. Sugar Island, Bay of Bengal. 



DESCRIPTION. The type material of N. aequidentata, which is 

 deposited at the Natural History Museum, Vienna, was re-described 

 by Pintner (1927). The scolex and tentacular armature of the present 

 specimen is given in Figs 1-2. Measurements: SL=3400; SW=1700; 

 pbo=1510; pv=1890; pb=813; ppb=57; vel=530; app=585; BL=780 

 (756-813); BW=237 (227-265); BR=3.3:1; SP=1.9:2.3:1. TW 

 metabasal=54-58, TW apical=46-5 1 . A basal tentacular swelling is 

 absent. The tentacle sheaths are straight; TSW=33-38. Prebulbar 

 organs are absent, muscular rings around the basal part of the 

 tentacle sheaths are present. The retractor muscles originate in the 

 basal part of the bulbs. 



The armature is homeoacanthous, homeomorphous, and a charac- 

 teristic basal armature is absent. The massive hooks of the metabasal 

 armature are similar in shape (Fig. 2), diminishing in size from the 

 6 th row towards the basal part of the tentacle. The size of the hooks 

 also diminish slightly towards the apical end of the tentacles. The 



hook size in the metabasal armature was L=33-38, B=13— 17; hsr=8. 



Remarks. The present specimen is similar to the type material, 

 having a large scolex and pbo and slender tentacular hooks with a 

 long shaft and a rounded base. The tentacular hooks of the type 

 specimen are similarly shaped along the tentacle and diminish in 

 size towards the tip and at the base (compare with Pintner 1927, p. 

 562). Additionally, both specimens were found in the same region, 

 off the Indian coast. However, the present specimen also shows 

 some differences to those described by Shipley & Hornell (1906) 

 and Pintner (1927). The scolex measurements of the type (4500- 

 5000. SW=2000) as well as the hook sizes (L=up to 48) are larger. 

 Similarly, the scolex proportions of the two specimens differ (type: 

 BR=4.3: 1 and SP=1 : 1 .7: 1 ). In both cases, the descriptions are based 

 on a single specimen only, and no data on the morphological 

 variability within N. aequidentata are available. 



The present specimen belongs to subgroup IAa of Palm et al. 

 ( 1 997) and due to the characteristically shaped slender hooks with a 

 rounded base, slender shaft and strongly re-curved tip, it has simi- 

 larities with N. edwinlintoni and N. goreensis. N. edwinlintoni is 

 smaller, has a different bulb ratio (2.5:1) and scolex proportion 

 (2.4:1.6:1) as well as a larger TW, TSW and smaller (L=18-20, 

 B=10) hooks (Dollfus, 1960). N. goreensis is also smaller (SL= 1235— 

 1325), has a slightly different bulb proportion (2.5-3:1), a larger 

 TW, TSW and smaller hooks. In addition, Dollfus (1960) remarked 

 on the uniformity of the hooks. Two species with a similar tentacular 

 armature, N. anantaramanorum and N. syngenes, were placed in 

 subgroup IAb by Palm et al., 1997, with hooks of similar size in the 

 basal and metabasal part of the tentacles. N. anantaramanorum from 

 the Gulf of Bengal differs in having smaller hooks and a smaller 

 scolex (Reimer, 1980). However, there is a close relationship be- 

 tween N. aequidentata and N. anantaramanorum. N. syngenes 

 resembles the present specimen in having similar tentacular hooks. 

 However, it clearly differs by having a distinctly smaller scolex and 

 larger hooks (L=68; Pintner, 1929, Dollfus, 1942). Thus, the present 

 specimen is identified as N. aequidentata, and represents a new host 

 record. However, the similarities between these species have to be 

 kept in mind. 



2. Nybelinia africana Dollfus, 1960 



(Fig. 3) 



Material examined. BMNH 1982.4.6.37^15, R. van der Elst 

 leg., 11.05.1984. 1 adult from the lower gut/upper intestine of 

 Carcharhinus obscurus, South Africa; BMNH 1985.11.8.63-64, R. 

 van der Elst leg., 11.5.1984, 1 adult from Carcharhinus leucas, 

 Richards Bay, South Africa. Other material: BMNH 1982.4.6.18- 

 22, R. Bray leg. , from the lower stomach of Carcharhinus obscurus, 

 Durban, South Africa; BMNH 1985.11.8.53-54, R. van der Elst 

 leg., 2.4.81, from the stomach of Carcharhinas leucas; BMNH 

 1985.11.8.55-56, R. Bray leg., from the stomach of Mustelus canis 

 (=M. canis or M. queketti), stomach, Durban, Natal. 



DESCRIPTION. Nybelinia africana was described in detail by 

 Dollfus (1960, see figures 9-19) and Palm et. al. (1997). Measure- 

 ments: SL=536, 440; SW=420, 485; pbo=327, 337; pv=205, 122; 

 pb=178, 150; vel=210, 164; BL= 174 (168-178), 133 (120-150); 

 BW=73 (70-75), 70 (60-78); BR=2.4:1, 1.9:1, SP=1.8:1.1:1, 

 2.2:0.8:1; Short tentacles, about 200 long, with TW basal=28, 27; 

 TW metabasal 23, 24; The tentacle sheaths are sinuous or spirally 

 coiled, TSW= 18-23, 17-20. The characteristic tentacular armature 

 is homeomorphous with a basal armature of about 6 rows with rose- 

 thorn-shaped hooks. The metabasal armature consists of slender 

 hooks with a strongly re-curved tip (L=13.5-15.2, 12.5-14.8; B=5.6- 

 7.2, 4.0-5.5). The tentacular hooks of the basal armature were 



