Two new parasitic copepods of the family Sphyriidae (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from Australian elasmobranchs.

Two new species of the genus Tripaphylus Richiardi in Anonymous, 1878 (family Sphyriidae) are described from elasmobranch hosts caught as bycatch within the Demersal and Timor Reef Fisheries which operate in the Northern Territory exclusive economic zone. Tripaphylus squidwardi n. sp. was collected from Carcharhinus coatesi Whitley and had a prevalence of 11.6%. Tripaphylus dippenaarae n. sp. was collected from Rhizoprionodon acutus (Rüppell) and had a prevalence of 28.2%. The new species are distinguished from existing congeneric species by the body proportions and shape of the adult female and by the arrangement of lobes on the ventral surface of the cephalothorax.

A new parasitic copepod (Copepoda; Cyclopoida; Chondracanthidae) from two pomacentrid fishes caught on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.

A new species of the copepod genus Pseudacanthocanthopsis Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959 (family Chondracanthidae) is described based on material of both sexes collected from two pomacentrid host fishes caught off Lizard Island, Queensland. The type host is Neopomacentrus azysron (Bleeker) and the additional host is N. cyanomos (Bleeker). The new species is distinguishable from all congeners by the form of the antennule of the female, which is dorso-ventrally flattened and extends out anteriorly to the front of the cephalothorax margin.

Copepods associated with Ascidian hosts (Tunicata): Intramolgidae and Lichomolgidae, with descriptions of four new genera and 13 new species.

Two new species of the hitherto monotypic family Intramolgidae are described, both are placed in the type genus Intramolgus Marchenkov Boxshall, 1995. Intramolgus heardensis sp. nov. was found in association with Polyzoa opuntia Lesson, 1830, and the host of I. atlantis sp. nov. was Styela chaini Monniot C. Monniot F., 1970. Eleven new species belonging to the family Lichomolgidae are reported. These include four new monotypic genera: Antarctomolgus gen. nov. accommodates A. molgulae gen. et sp. nov. from Molgula pedunculata (Herdman, 1881), Didemnomolgus gen. nov. accommodates D. crenulatus gen. et sp. nov. from Didemnum molle (Herdmann, 1886), Spheromolgus gen. nov. accommodates S. rarus gen. et sp. nov. from Diplosoma simile (Sluiter, 1909), and Alupa gen. nov. accommodates A. geminata gen. et sp. nov. from Leptoclinides madara Tokioka, 1953. The remaining new species are: Debruma deplanata sp. nov. from Ascidia ornata Monniot F. Monniot C., 2001, Lichomolgidium bipartitum sp. nov. from Pyura stolonifera (Heller, 1878), Lichomolgus papuensis sp. nov. from Rhopalaea circula Monniot F. Monniot C., 2001, L. brevicaudatus sp. nov. from an unidentified species of Polycarpa Heller, 1877, L. alatus sp. nov. from Synoicum castellatum Kott, 1992, L. lepidotus sp. nov. from Aplidium altarium (Sluiter, 1909), and Lobomolgus foveolatus sp. nov. from Didemnum molle (Herdmann, 1886). In addition, redescriptions are provided for Henicoxiphium redactum Illg Humes, 1971, Lichomolgidium sardum Kossmann, 1877, Lichomolgus canui Sars, 1917, L. forficula Thorell, 1860, and Zygomolgus dentatus Kim I.H., 2006.

Copepods (Cyclopoida) associated with ascidian hosts: Ascidicolidae, Buproridae, Botryllophilidae, and Enteropsidae, with descriptions of 84 new species.

The Monniot collection of copepods associated with ascidian hosts was built up over several decades of field collecting and taxonomic research on ascidians by Drs Claude Françoise Monniot (MNHN, Paris). This paper describes a total of 84 new species of copepods collected from ascidian hosts and five new genera are established. Prior to this study the family Ascidicolidae comprised two genera accommodating five valid species; here we add two new genera, Hamistyelicola gen. nov. and Bathycopola gen. nov., and eight new species in total. The family Buproridae comprised a single genus consisting of three species; here we add a new monotypic genus, Buprorides gen. nov. The family Botryllophilidae comprised 68 valid species in seven genera and here we add 45 new species; 13 of Botryllophilus Hesse, 1864, nine of Schizoproctus Aurivillius, 1885, three of Haplostomides Chatton Harant, 1924, 12 of Haplostoma Chatton Harant, 1924, seven of Haplostomella Chatton Harant, 1924 and a single new species of Haplosaccus Chatton Harant, 1924. The Enteropsidae comprised 42 species in five genera and here we add two new genera, Monnioticopa gen. nov. and Periboia gen. nov., plus a total of 30 new species; 15 of Enterocola van Beneden, 1860, two of Enterocolides Chatton Harant, 1922, five of Enteropsis C.W.S. Aurivillius, 1885, five of Monnioticopa gen. nov., two of Mychophilus Hesse, 1865, plus the type species of Periboia gen. nov. Generic diagnoses are provided for all genera represented in the collection. A further 13 known species are also reported and brief supplementary descriptive notes or full redescriptions are provided, as appropriate.

New arietellid copepods (Calanoida, Arietellidae) from anchialine caves in the Eastern Adriatic Sea.

Two new species of calanoid copepods are described; Metacalanus adriaticus sp. nov. from an anchialine cave on Vis Island, and Paramisophria tvrtkovici sp. nov. from Orljak Cave, located in the lower part of River Krka estuary, near the town of Sibenik (Croatia). This is the first report of arietellid copepods found in any anchialine cave along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. In M. adriaticus sp. nov. the antennules are asymmetrical in both sexes (the female left antennule is 18-segmented, right 20-segmented; male left 16-segmented and right 20-segmented); the uniramous fifth legs of the female are 2-segmented; the terminal segment of the fifth leg in both sexes is the longest; and in the male the fifth leg exopod is 2-segmented. In P. tvrtkovici sp. nov. the antennules of both sexes are asymmetrical with the left antennule longer than the right, the female antennule is 21-segmented on both sides; the male left antennule is 19-segmented, the right 21-segmented; the armature of the terminal exopod segment of leg 1 is II, 2 ,2; the male fifth legs have a rudimentary endopod on the left leg, the third exopodal segment is smallest and bears three unequal processes on its outer margin, and the terminal spine is completely separated from the segment. On the right leg the third segment carries two short, unequal processes on its outer distal margin, as well as a long sigmoidal spine which is fused to the segment. It is inferred that, after the last glaciation, these new Arietellids moved out from their southern Adriatic refuge, colonizing first the anchialine habitats of the outer eastern Adriatic islands and then spreading along the coast.

A revision of the family Archinotodelphyidae Lang, 1949 (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Oithonida), with the recognition of 15 new species.

The family Archinotodelphyidae Lang, 1949 is reviewed. Only the type genus, Archinotodelphys Lang, 1949, is accepted as valid and the genus Pararchinotodelphys Lang, 1949 is recognized as its junior subjective synonym. The two species formerly placed in the latter genus are transferred to the type genus as Archinotodelphys gurneyi (Illg, 1955) comb. nov. and A. phallusiae (Hansen, 1923) comb. nov. The species A. polynesiensis Monniot, 1986 was regarded as highly variable by Monniot (1986) but here we separate out his material from the host Herdmania momus (Savigny, 1816) which we recognise as a distinct species, A. momus sp. nov. Another 14 new species are described for the first time, from material collected at numerous localities across the global ocean. The new species are: A. curtus sp. nov. from Styela sp., A. illgi sp. nov. from an unknown host, A. hexasetosus sp. nov. from Molgula platybranchia Monniot C., 1970, A. cinctus sp. nov. from Bathystyeloides enderbyanus (Michaelsen, 1904), A. antarcticus sp. nov. from Molgula pedunculata (Herdman, 1881), A. monnioti sp. nov. from Pareugyrioides galatheae Millar, 1959 (type host) and P. digitus Monniot C., 1997, A. bimerus sp. nov. from an unidentified species of the family Molgulidae, A. longiseta sp. nov. from Styela sigma Hartmeyer, 1912, A. reductus sp. nov. from Pyura gangelion (Savigny, 1816), A. elegans sp. nov. from Polycarpa argentata (Sluiter, 1898), A. rostralis sp. nov. from Polycarpa nigricans Heller, 1878, A. longicaudatus sp. nov. from Microcosmus longicloa Monniot C. Monniot F., 1991, A. nudus sp. nov. from a Polycarpa sp., and A. unisetosus sp. nov. from an unidentified phlebobranch ascidian host. A key to species is provided.

Parasitic copepods of the family Lernanthropidae Kabata, 1979 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from Australian fishes, with descriptions of seven new species.

The total number of species of Lernanthropidae previously recorded from Australian waters is 15 (i.e., one species each of Aethon Krøyer, 1837, Lernanthropodes Bere, 1936, and Lernanthropsis Do, in Ho Do, 1985; 10 species of Lernanthropus de Blainville, 1822; and two species of Sagum Wilson, 1913), and all of these records are reviewed. We report here the presence of three species of Aethon. One species, A. garricki Hewitt, 1968, is reported from Australian waters for the first time and a new species, A. bicamera sp. nov., is described from the latrid, Latris lineatus (Forster, 1801) caught off South Australia. The genus Lernanthropodes is represented by a single species, L. trachinoti Pillai, 1962. We recognize Chauvanium Kazachenko, Kovaleva, Nguyen Ngo, 2017 as a subjective synonym of Lernanthropodes and transfer its type and only species C. chauvani Kazachenko, Kovaleva, Nguyen Ngo, 2017 which becomes Lernanthropodes chauvani (Kazachenko, Kovaleva, Nguyen Ngo, 2017) n. comb. Lernanthropsis mugilii (Shishido, 1898) is reported here from Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 sampled in Queensland and in New South Wales. The genus Lernanthropus is the most species rich and we report the presence of 20 nominal species on Australian marine fishes. This total includes six new species: L. alepicolus sp. nov. from Alepes apercna Grant, 1987, L. elegans sp. nov. from Atractoscion aequidens (Cuvier, 1830), L. gnathanodontus sp. nov. from Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål, 1775), L. paracruciatus sp. nov. from Protonibea diacanthus (Lacepède, 1802), L. pemphericola sp. nov. from Pempheris compressa (White, 1790), and L. selenotoca sp. nov. from Selenotoca multifasciata (Richardson, 1846). In addition, we report the presence of another four species in Australian waters for the first time: L. abitocephalus Tripathi, 1962, L. cadenati Delamare Deboutteville Nuñes-Ruivo, 1954, L. microlamini Hewitt, 1968, and L. pomadasysis Rangnekar Murti, 1961. After reexamination of the types of L. paenulatus Wilson, 1922 held in the USNM, we relegate this species to subjective synonymy with L. seriolii Shishido, 1898. Previous records of L. paenulatus from Australian Seriola species should be reassigned to L. seriolii. Lernanthropus ecclesi Kensley Grindley, 1973 is recognized as a junior subjective synonym of L. micropterygis Richiardi, 1884, and L. delamarei Marques, 1960, which is based on the male only, is tentatively considered to be a junior subjective synonym of L. micropterygis. Males are described for the first time for three species; L. breviculus Kabata, 1979, L. microlamini and L. mollis Kabata, 1979. A member of the genus Mitrapus Song Chen, 1976, M. oblongus (Pillai, 1964), is reported from Australia for the first time, on Herklotsichthys castelnaui (Ogilby, 1897) caught off Queensland and New South Wales. Finally, two species of Sagum were previously known from Australia and here we add three more. Two of the newly reported species were originally described as species of Lernanthropus but we formally transfer them here to Sagum as S. lativentris (Heller, 1865) n. comb. and S. sanguineus (Song, in Song Chen, 1976) n. comb. The males of S. lativentris and S. vespertilio Kabata, 1979 are described for the first time. A key to the females of the 31 species of lernanthropids found in Australian waters is provided.

Mesoparasitic copepods (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) associated with polychaete worms in European seas.

A large collection of mesoparasitic copepods from polychaete hosts collected in northern European waters was examined. The term mesoparasitic refers to highly transformed copepods where the adult female attaches by embedding part of its body in the host. Representatives of five known familes were found and a new family is established. A single new species, Bradophila minuta sp. nov., was described in the family Bradophilidae. It occurred exclusively on the flabelligerid Diplocirus glaucus (Malmgren, 1867). Two genera of the family Herpyllobiidae were represented: Herpyllobius Steenstrup Lütken, 1861 and Eurysilenium M. Sars, 1870. Herpyllobius arcticus Steenstrup Lütken, 1861 was found on at least five different polynoid hosts, two of which, Harmothoe fragilis Moore, 1910 and Antinoe sp., were new host records. A new species, H. cluthensis sp. nov. was described from Malmgrenia species in Scottish waters. The large species, Herpyllobius cordiformis Lützen, 1964, was collected in Arctic waters from Eunoe cf. oerstedi. It is the first report of this parasite in Europe. The common parasite H. polynoes (Krøyer, 1864) was found on six different polynoid hosts, three of which, Harmothoe bifera, Malmgreniella mcintoshi Tebble Chambers, 1982 and Eunoe ?barbata are new host records. Eurysilenium truncatum M. Sars, 1870 was collected from Eucranta villosa Malmgren, 1866, Eunone sp., and Gattyana cirrhosa (Pallas, 1766). The material from Eucranta villosa caught at 72.6ºN comprises both a new host record and is the most northerly report of this parasite. Specimens of Eurysilenium which differed from E. truncatum in a number of features were found on Harmothoe fragilis and H. impar (Johnston, 1839). A new family, the Pholoicolidae, is established to accommodate Pholicola chambersae gen. et sp. nov., parasitic on Pholoe pallida Chambers, 1985. The family Phyllodicolidae was represented by all three of its known species: Phyllodicola petiti (Delamare Deboutteville Laubier, 1960), Cyclorhiza eteonicola Heegaard, 1942 and C. megalova Gotto Leahy, 1988. The former was found on Eumida ockelmanni Eibye-Jacobsen, 1987, a new host record. A single ovigerous female of C. eteonicola was collected from a new host, Eteone spetsbergensis Malmgren, 1865. Cyclorhiza megalova was common on Eteone longa (Fabricius, 1780) and E. longa/flava complex. A rich diversity of members of the family Saccopsidae was found, including three known species of Melinnacheres M. Sars, 1870 plus nine new species placed in four new genera. Melinnacheres was represented by M. ergasiloides M. Sars, 1870, M. steenstrupi Bresciani Lützen, 1961 and M. terebellidis Levinsen, 1878. Melinnacheres ergasiloides was found on Melinna elizabethae McIntosh, 1914, M. steenstrupi on members of the Terebellides stroemi-complex and T. atlantis Williams, 1984, while M. terebellidis was found on the T. stroemi-complex and on T. shetlandica Parapar, Moreira O'Reilly, 2016. A new genus, Trichobranchicola gen. nov., was established to accommodate T. antennatus gen. et sp. nov., a parasite of Trichobranchus sikorskii Leontovich Jirkov in Jirkov, 2001, T. glacialis Malmgren, 1866 and Trichobranchus sp. The second new genus, Lanassicola gen. nov., was established to accommodate the type species, Lanassicola arcticus gen. et sp. nov. parasitic on Lanassa venusta (Malm, 1874), plus two additional species, L. bilobatus gen. et sp. nov. on Lanassa nordenskjoeldi Malmgren, 1866, and L. dorsilobatus gen. et sp. nov. on Proclea graffii (Langerhans, 1884). A new subfamily, Euchonicolinae, was established within the Saccopsidae to accommodate two new genera, Euchonicola gen. nov. and Euchonicoloides gen. nov. The type species of Euchonicola gen. nov. is E. caudatus gen. et sp. nov., a parasite of Euchone sp., and it includes two other species, E. linearis gen. et sp. nov. on Chone sp., and E. parvus gen. et sp. nov. on Euchone sp. The type species of Euchonicoloides gen. nov. is E. elongatus gen. et sp. nov. found on a host belonging to the genus Euchone, and it also includes Euchonicoloides halli gen. et sp. nov. from Jasmineira caudata Langerhans, 1880. Four species of the family Xenocoelomidae were found: Xenocoeloma alleni (Brumpt, 1897), X. brumpti Caullery Mesnil, 1915, X. orbicularis sp. nov. and Aphanodomus terebellae (Levinsen, 1878). Xenocoeloma alleni was found on four different species of Polycirrus and on Amaeana trilobata (M. Sars, 1863) and X. brumpti was found on Polycirrus norvegicus Wollebaek, 1912. Xenocoeloma orbicularis sp. nov. occurred only on Paramphitrite birulai (Ssolowiew, 1899). Aphanodomus terebellae was found on three hosts, only one of which, Leaena abranchiata was new.

A new genus and family of copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda) parasitic on polychaetes of the genus Jasmineira Langerhans, 1880 (family Sabellidae) in the northeastern Atlantic.

A new genus and species of copepod, Jasmineiricola mackiei n. gen. et n. sp., parasitic on at least three species of the sabellid polychaete genus Jasmineira Langerhans, 1880 is described. The adult female is mesoparasitic, living with part of its body (the endosoma) embedded within the host and part (the ectosoma) protruding through the host's body wall. The endosoma consists of a well defined head region carried anteriorly on the trunk which has paired lateral lobes housing the ovaries. The head bears a rosette-like array of eight slender lobes, which are probably derived from the mouthparts. The only limbs present on the trunk are the subchelate maxillipeds positioned immediately posterior to the head. The ectosoma consists of a posterior genito-abdominal lobe bearing paired genital apertures. The male is unknown. The new genus cannot be placed in any of the five existing families of mesoparasitic copepods on polychaete hosts and is treated as the type of a new monotypic family, the Jasmineiricolidae. The new species occurs over a depth range from 19 to 279 m, and is widely distributed from UK coastal waters to Norwegian waters inside the Arctic Circle.

Fossil Crustaceans as Parasites and Hosts.

Numerous crustacean lineages have independently moved into parasitism as a mode of life. In modern marine ecosystems, parasitic crustaceans use representatives from many metazoan phyla as hosts. Crustaceans also serve as hosts to a rich diversity of parasites, including other crustaceans. Here, we show that the fossil record of such parasitic interactions is sparse, with only 11 examples, one dating back to the Cambrian. This may be due to the limited preservation potential and small size of parasites, as well as to problems with ascribing traces to parasitism with certainty, and to a lack of targeted research. Although the confirmed stratigraphic ranges are limited for nearly every example, evidence of parasitism related to crustaceans has become increasingly more complete for isopod-induced swellings in decapods so that quantitative analyses can be carried out. Little attention has yet been paid to the origin of parasitism in deep time, but insight can be generated by integrating data on fossils with molecular studies on modern parasites. In addition, there are other traces left by parasites that could fossilize, but have not yet been recognized in the fossil record.

A new genus of speleophriid copepod (Copepoda: Misophrioida) from a cenote in the Yucatan, Mexico with a phylogenetic analysis at the species level.

A new genus and species of speleophriid copepod, Mexicophria cenoticola gen. et sp. nov., is described based on material collected from a cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It is characterised by relatively reduced fifth legs that are located adjacent to the ventral midline in both sexes, by the possession of a bulbous swelling on the first antennulary segment in both sexes, and by the reduced setation of the swimming legs. The presence of just one inner margin seta on the second endopodal segment of legs 2 to 4 is a unique feature for the family. A phylogenetic analysis places the new genus on a basal lineage of the family together with its sister taxon, Boxshallia Huys, 1988, from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, and recovers the existing genera as monophyletic units. The zoogeography is discussed at local, regional, ocean basin  and global scales.

A novel microhabitat for parasitic copepods: a new genus of Ergasilidae (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) from the urinary bladder of a freshwater fish.

An endoparasitic copepod is reported from the urinary bladder of a fish for the first time. Endoparasitic copepods on fish hosts are extremely rare and the impact of colonization of this novel microhabitat on the biology of the parasite is discussed. This curious association was reported from two different host families of Neotropical freshwater fishes, Erythrinidae and Cichlidae, collected from the Cristalino River, a tributary of the Araguaia River, in Brazil. The copepod is fully described using light and scanning electron microscopy. Urogasilus brasiliensis n. g., n. sp. represents a new genus and species of the family Ergasilidae and can be distinguished from other genera by its unique tagmosis, in which the fourth and fifth pedigerous somites and the genital double-somite are all fused to form an elongate trunk. The anal somite is the only free abdominal somite present. The pattern of leg segmentation is also unique, with legs 1 to 3 each having a 2-segmented endopod and leg 4 reduced to a single seta. The discovery of ovigerous female ergasilids in the urinary bladder of a fish is novel and this discovery represents a good model for further studies on the adaptations to an endoparasitic lifestyle.

Copepods associated with polychaete worms in European seas.

Descriptions are given of 18 species of copepods that live in symbiotic association with polychaete worms in European Seas. Three new genera and six new species of the family Clausiidae Giesbrecht, 1895 are described: Boreoclausia rectan. gen. et n. sp. is described from Galathowenia fragilis (Nilson & Holthe, 1985), Boreoclausia holmesi n. gen. et n. sp.is described from Myriochele danielsseni Hansen, 1879, Sheaderia bifida n. gen. et n. sp. from Euclymene oerstedii (Claparède, 1863), Vivgottoia garwoodi n. gen. et n. sp., was found inside the tail fragment of a terebellid host (probably Phisidia aurea Southward, 1956), Rhodinicola tenuis n. sp. from an unknown host, and R. similis n. sp., from Rhodine gracilor (Tauber, 1879). In addition, four other clausiid species, Clausia lubbockii Claparède, 1863, Mesnilia cluthae (T. and A.Scott, 1896), Rhodinicola gibbosus Bresciani, 1964 and R. rugosum (Giesbrecht, 1895), are redescribed in detail on the basis of newly collected material. The previously-unknown hosts of C. lubbockii were found to be species of the spionid polychaete genus Dipolydora Verrill, 1881. Clausia uniseta Bocquet & Stock, 1960 were recognized as a junior subjective synonym of C. lubbockii, and Mesnilia martinensis Canu, 1898 was recognized as a junior subjective synonym of M. cluthae. The sole species of the monotypic family Anomoclausiidae Gotto, 1964, Anomoclausia indrehusae Gotto, 1964, is redescribed based on new material. The host of A. indrehusae, reported here for the first time, is the spionid Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata (Okuda, 1937). Four new species of the family Nereicolidae Claus, 1875 are described, three belonging to the genus Anomopsyllus Sars, 1921: Anomopsyllus bifurcus n. sp. from Notomastus latericeus M. Sars, 1851, A. geminus n. sp. from Ampharete lindstroemi Malmgren, 1867, and A. hamiltonae n. sp., from Mugga wahrbergi Eliasson, 1955. The fourth new species is Vectoriella gabesensis n. sp., both sexes of which are described from the paraonid Aricidea catherinae Laubier, 1967 collected in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunisia. Another nereicolid, Sigecheres brittae Bresciani, 1964 is redescribed based on new material collected from the type host Sige fusigera Malmgren, 1865. It is recognized as a junior subjective synonym of Nereicola concinna T. Scott, 1902 and the valid name of this taxon becomes Sigecheres concinna (T. Scott, 1902) new combination. A new species of the family Spiophanicolidae Ho, 1984, Spiophanicola atlanticus n. sp., is described based on European material. Previously European material of Spiophanicola Ho, 1984 has been reported as S. spinulosus Ho, 1984, but based on consistent differences between the Californian S. spinulosus and material from Norway and the British Isles, there is sufficient justification to establish a new species for the European material. Finally one new genus and species is described which cannot be placed, with confidence, in any existing family. This new parasite, Notomasticola frondosus n. gen. et n. sp., is based on material from two hosts, a spionid (Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata) and a capitellid (Notomastus latericeus). It is highly derived and may represent a terminal branch within an existing family. The cluster of families using polychaetes as hosts is in need of revision based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis.

The lunule of caligid copepods: an evolutionarily novel structure.

Nearly half of the genera of the family Caligidae possess an evolutionarily novel structure called the "lunule" on the ventral surface of the frontal plate. Lunules are paired cup-like suckers that assist in securing attachment of the copepod parasite to its host. Although present in genera such as Caligus and Pseudocaligus, lunules are absent in other caligid genera such as Lepeophtheirus as well as in more primitive caligiforms such as members of the families Trebiidae and Dissonidae. We compared the morphology and development of the anterior margin of the frontal plates between two caligids, Pseudocaligus fugu and Lepeophtheirus sekii, and a more basal caligiform, Dissonus heronensis (a dissonid), using scanning electron, transmission electron, and laser confocal microscopes. Our observations suggest that the lunules originated as a modification of the marginal membranes of the ancestral frontal plates. We also demonstrated the presence of an anlagen cell population for the lunule and marginal membrane in the developing frontal plate. These primordial cells can be detected as early as the first stage of the chalimus phase. Based on these observations, an evolutionary scenario for the lunule is proposed based on cytological evidence. This case study enhances our understanding of "evolutionary novelty," which is a main focus of contemporary evolutionary developmental biology.

A new copepod (Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on a Red Sea immigrant dragonet (Actinopterygii: Callionymidae), with a review of records of parasitic copepods from dragonets.

A new species of parasitic copepod of the family Lernanthropidae is described from an immigrant population of the blotchfin dragonet Callionymus filamentosus Valenciennes (family Callionymidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both sexes are described on the basis of material caught in Egyptian waters off the Alexandria coast at Abuqir. The new species shares with Lernanthropus breviculus Kabata, 1979 the possession of a small dorsal plate on the trunk that is so narrow at its origin that it does not overlap the bases of the fourth legs, which are therefore visible in dorsal view. These species differ in the shape of the cephalothorax and in the extent of the dorsal plate, which is shorter in the new species, revealing the caudal rami in dorsal view. Previous records of parasitic copepods utilising callionymids as hosts are reviewed: most belong to the families Pennellidae and Chondracanthidae.

The discovery of Caligus temnodontis Brian, 1924 (Copepoda: Caligidae) from the bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The temnodontis variety of Caligus mauritanicus Brian, 1924 described by Brian (1924) is a valid species known only from a single host species, Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus). New material of this species has been examined from the same host fish caught from Abuqir Bay, Alexandria (Egypt), from Iskenderun Bay (Turkey) and from off the coast of South Africa. Using this material, C. temnodontis Brian, 1924 is redescribed and compared with related species. It is most closely related to the Indo-Pacific species C. pagrosomi Yamaguti, 1939.

Parasitic copepods on immigrant and native clupeid fishes caught in Egyptian coastal waters off Alexandria.

Three species of parasitic copepods, one each from the siphonostomatoid families Lernanthropidae and Lernaeopodidae and one from the cyclopoid family Bomolochidae, are redescribed based on material collected from the gills of four fish species belonging to the family Clupeidae caught from coastal waters off Alexandria, Egypt. The recorded parasites are: Mitrapus oblongus (Pillai, 1964), found on Etrumeus teres (Dekay), an immigrant species from the Red Sea, and on Sardinella aurita Valenciennes, a native Mediterranean species; Clavellisa ilishae Pillai, 1962 found only on S. aurita; and Nothobomolochus fradei Marques, 1965 found on Herklotsichthys punctatus (Rüppell), an immigrant species from the Red Sea, and on Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum), a native Mediterranean species. The first two of these copepods have been reported before on clupeid hosts from the Indian Ocean. The third was known from the eastern South Atlantic and the Arabian Gulf. None of the copepods has previously been recorded in the Mediterranean. All of the parasites reported here constitute new records for these hosts. Two of the hosts are Erythrean (=Lessepsian) immigrants and were caught in Mediterranean waters off the Egyptian coast. The original description of N. fradei (Marques, 1965) is inadequate by modern standards. This species is fully described here for the first time. The male of M. oblongus was briefly described by Pillai (1964), but its mouthparts are described in detail here for the first time.

Parasites gained: alien parasites switching to native hosts.

Three parasitic copepods new to the well-studied Mediterranean fauna are reported. Two of them, Mitrapus oblongus (Pillai, 1964) and Clavellisa ilishae Pillai, 1962, are of Indo-Pacific origin and are considered here to have co-invaded the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal on Erythrean (Red Sea) immigrant hosts. Both are reported here from native Mediterranean clupeid fish hosts; this is the first evidence of host switching of any metazoan parasites from Erythrean immigrants to native fish hosts. The third parasite, Nothobomolochus fradei Marques, 1965, was previously known from the Gulf of Guinea and the Arabian Gulf. Possible explanations of its presence on clupeid hosts in Egyptian waters off Alexandria are discussed. The parasite utilizes an Erythrean immigrant clupeid and a native Mediterranean species as hosts. This account provides evidence of parasite and host faunal mixing on an unexpected scale.

A revision of the family Dissonidae Kurtz, 1924 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida).

Two new species of the parasitic copepod genus Dissonus Wilson, 1906 are described: D. excavatus n. sp. from the gills of a labrid, Bodianus perditio, and a lutjanid, Macolor niger, collected off New Caledonia and Taiwan, and D. inaequalis n. sp. from a hemiscylliid elasmobranch, Chiloscyllium punctatum, collected off Sarawak (Malaysia) and the Philippines. Material of D. heronensis Kabata, 1966 is described from a balistid host, Pseudobalistes fuscus, off New Caledonia, and this constitutes a new host record for this parasite. D. manteri Kabata, 1966 was collected from four serranid host species off New Caledonia and from one of the same hosts off Taiwan. Two of the hosts from New Caledonia, Plectropomus laevis and Epinephelus cyanopodus, represent new host records. D. pastinum Deets & Dojiri, 1990 was recognised as a new synonym of D. nudiventris Kabata, 1966, so the total number of valid species is now twelve. Material from museum collections of D. nudiventris, D. similis Kabata, 1966 and D. spinifer Wilson, 1906 was re-examined and provided new information which is utilised in a key to all valid species of Dissonus.