Abstract
Brasergasilus bifurcatus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Ergasilidae, Abergasilinae) is described. Specimens of the new species were collected from the gills and nasal fossae of the serrasalmid fishes, known as “piranhas”, Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819) and “pirambebas”, Serrasalmus brandtii (Lütken, 1875). The fishes were netted in the Três Marias Reservoir (18°12′59″S, 45°17′34″W) of the upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The new species differs from its congeners by the following characters: the specific setation on the antennule; the terminal barb of the antenna; the deeply bifurcate distal segment of the mandible; the chalice-shaped genital complex; a conspicuous external indentation of the second segment of the first endopod and a very short terminal segment of the first exopod.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brasil-Sato M.C. 2003. Parasitos de Peixes da Bacia do São Francisco. In: (Eds. H.P. Godinho and A.L. Godinho) Águas, Peixes e Pescadores do São Francisco das Minas Gerais. Editora PUCMINAS, Belo Horizonte, 149–165.
Bush A.O., Lafferty K.D., Lotz J.M., Shostak A.W. 1997. Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al., revisited. Journal of Parasitology, 83, 575–583.
Hewitt G.C. 1978. Abergasilus amplexus gen. et sp. nov. (Ergasilidae: parasitic Copepoda) from fishes in Lake Ellesmere, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine Freshwater Research, 12, 173–177.
Malta J.C.O. 1995. Brasergasilus guaporensis sp. n. (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) das brânquias de Leporinus fasciatus (Bloch, 1890) (Characiformes: Anostomidae) da Amazônia Brasileira. Acta Amazonica, 23, 441–447.
Thatcher V.E. 2006. Amazon fish parasites. 2nd ed. Pensoft Publications, Sofia, 508 pp.
Thatcher V.E., Boeger W.A. 1983. The parasitic crustaceans of fishes from the Brazilian Amazon. 5. Brasergasilus gen. nov. (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea), a “three-legged” ergasilid, with two new species and the proposal of Abergasilinae subfam. nov. Acta Amazonica, 13, 195–214.
Thatcher V.E., Boeger W.A. 1984. The parasitic crustaceans of fishes from the Brazilian Amazon. 6. Brasergasilus oranus n. sp. (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) from Anodus elongatus Spix. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 44, 395–401.
Varella A.M.B., Malta J.C.O. 2001. Brasergasilus mamorensis sp. n. (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) from the nasal cavities of Hydrolycus pectoralis (Guenter, 1866) (Characiformes: Cynodontidae) from the Brazilian Amazon, and considerations about Abergasilinae. Acta Amazonica, 31, 323–330.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Santos, M.D., Thatcher, V.E. & Brasil-Sato, M.C. Brasergasilus bifurcatus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Ergasilidae, Abergasilinae) from the gills and nasal fossae of serrasalmid fishes from the Três Marias Reservoir, Upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Acta Parasit. 52, 268–272 (2007). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-007-0036-x
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-007-0036-x