The Discovery of the Mediterranean Echinorhynchus abissicola Dollfus, 1931 (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) From a New Host in the Persian Gulf

Authors: Omar M Amin*, Milad Badri and Aida Vafae Eslahi

DOI: 10.23880/izab-16000596

Volume 7, Issue 4

Abstract

The obscure Echinorhynchus abissicola Dollfus, 1931 was briefly described from the deep-sea fish Pachycara obesa Zugmayer (Zoarcidae), a synonym of Pachycara bulbiceps (Garman) in the Mediterranean. Other observers rarely copied the description and 3 figures of a proboscis and 2 hooks but no taxonomic information was provided since. We have identified the same species from the leather jacket filefish Aluterus monoceros (Linn.) (Monacanthidae) in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran. Leather jackets are usually found worldwide in subtropical oceans at depths of 50 m. The lessepsian distribution of fish and their parasites across the Suez Canal in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea/Persian Gulf may account for the finding of E. abissicola in A. monocerus in the Persian Gulf. We made a few new taxonomic observations not previously reported in the description of 1931.

Keywords: Echinorhynchus abissicola; Alcohol; Hydrochloric Carmine

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