Bothriocephalus gadellus n. sp. (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidae) from the beardless codling Gadella imberbis (Vaillant) (Moridae) in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, with a review of species of Bothriocephalus Rudolphi, 1808 reported from gadiform fishes.
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abstract
Bothriocephalus gadellus n. sp. is described from the intestine of the beardless codling Gadella imberbis (Gadiformes: Moridae) from the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It resembles B. scorpii, the type-species of Bothriocephalus, and B. manubriformis, the only species of the genus reported from the Gulf of Mexico. B. gadellus n. sp. differs from both species in having four excretory canals on each side of the proglottid (three per side in B. scorpii; two per side anastomosing to form an extensive plexus throughout the medulla in B. manubriformis ), 24-33 testes per proglottid (30-60 in B. scorpii; 60-100 in B. manubriformis), a total length of 31-47 mm (32-950 mm in B. scorpii; 130-1,000 mm in B. manubriformis), and a seminal receptacle and wing-like expansions on each proglottid (absent in B. scorpii and B. manubriformis), as well as lacking two sets of reproductive organs per proglottid (present in B. scorpii) and a vagina with a bulbous sphincter near the opening (present in B. manubriformis). An amendment to the generic diagnosis of Bothriocephalus might be warranted if other species of this genus are found to possess a seminal receptacle. B. gadellus n. sp. appears to be like those species of Bothriocephalus that can utilise two intermediate hosts (copepod and fish). B. ellipticus and B. neglectus are designated as species inquirendae. This is the first report of a cestode from a morid fish in the Gulf of Mexico, and the first report of a parasite from a species of Gadellus.
