Monogeneans from Catfishes in Lake Tanganyika. I: Two new species of Bagrobdella (Dactylogyridae) from Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Siluriformes: Claroteidae)

• Published in: Zoologia (Curitiba, Brazil) Vol. 39; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Mushagalusa Mulega, Archimède, Muterezi Bukinga, Fidel, Akoumba, John Francis, Mulungula, Pascal Masilya, Pariselle, Antoine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Curitiba Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia 2022
• Subjects: Auchenoglanis occidentalis; Bagrobdella; Biodiversity; Congeners; Fish; Hooks; Lakes; Morphology; Multivariate analysis; Museums; New species; Parasites; Physical characteristics; ZOOLOGY; South Africa; Belgium; France; Central Africa; Lake Tanganyika; Paris France; Bagrobdella vanhovei sp. nov; Congo Basin; over dispersion; Bagrobdella vansteenbergei sp. nov; East Africa; intraspecific variation
• ISSN: 1984-4670; 1984-4689; 1984-4689
• DOI: 10.1590/s1984-4689.v39.e22016

In the framework of the study of Siluriform fish monogeneans of Lake Tanganyika, we described two new species of Bagrobdella Paperna, 1969 from Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Valenciennes, 1840). Bagrobdella vanhoveisp. nov. is characterized by the morphology of its MCO which is unique among its congeners, presenting a non-terminal opening, whereas the other species have a terminal opening, and Bagrobdella vansteenbergei sp. nov. characterized by the size of its hooks, which are almost all of the same size, and its male copulating organ with a unique shape: a sub-terminal opening and no membrane surrounding. The Multivariate analysis done on morphometrical characters shows that the new and already described species are well individualized, except for Bagrobdella parauchenoglanii Akoumba, Pariselle, Tombi & Bilong Bilong, 201 7 and Bagrobdella fraudulenta Euzet & Le Brun, 1990 (but these two species are easily distinguishable by their morphology), and that B. vanhovei sp. nov. has a great intra-specific morphometrical variation.