A new species of Moravecia (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) from the body cavity of the marine perciform fish Percophis brasiliensis in Argentina

Abstract

A new species of dracunculoid nematode, Moravecia argentinensis n. sp. (Guyanemidae), is described from the blood vessels and body cavity of Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis Quoy et Gaimard (Perciformes: Percophidae), from off the coast of Argentina. The new species differs from the only other congeneric species, Moravecia australiensis Ribu et Lester, 2004, mainly in the number (14) of cephalic papillae, the length ratio of the muscular and glandular portions of esophagus (1:1-2), more numerous (3-5 pairs) genital papillae in the male, and the presence of a sclerotized copulatory plate. This is the second known species of Moravecia Ribu et Lester, 2004 and the first species of this genus reported from South American waters.