Abstract
Echinorhynchus hexagrammi Baeva, 1965 is redescribed on the basis of specimens collected from the saffron cod Eleginus gracilis (Tilesius) in Akkeshi Bay (western North Pacific) off Hokkaido, Japan. Eighteen museum specimens deposited as E. salmonis Müller, 1784 from Japanese coastal waters were also re-examined and re-identified as E. hexagrammi. Hexagrammos stelleri Tilesius, Hemitripterus villosus (Pallas), Podothecus sachi (Jordan & Snyder), Sebastes oblongus Günther and Verasper moseri Jordan & Gilbert are recognised as new hosts for E. hexagrammi. This acanthocephalan can be distinguished from three morphologically similar species, E. gadi Zoega in Müller, 1776, E. laurentianus Ronald, 1957 and E. salmonis, by the possession of the following characters: 12–16 (usually 14) rows of hook on the proboscis, a proboscis width of 170–240 μm in males and 195–270 μm in females, a hook root length of 35–45 μm in males and 40–50 μm in females, and linearly or almost linearly arranged cement glands in males.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, M. J., & Smith, G. B. (1988). Atlas and zoogeography of common fishes in the Bering Sea and northeastern Pacific. NOAA Technical Report NMFS, 66, 1–151.
Amin, O. M., & Redline, M. J. (1980). The effect of host species on growth and variability of Echinorhynchus salmonis Müller, 1784 (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae), with special reference to the status of the genus. Systematic Parasitology, 2, 9–20.
Araki, J., & Machida, M. (1987). Some acanthocephalans from marine fishes of northern Japan, with descriptions of two new species, Acanthocephaloides ichiharai and A. claviformis. Bulletin of National Science Museum, Tokyo, Series A, 13, 1–11.
Baeva, O. M. (1965). [On the helminth fauna of Far-Eastern mackerel.] In: Leonov, V. A., Mamaev, Yu. L., & Oshmarin, P. G. (Eds) [Parasitic worms of domestic and wild animals. Papers on helminthology presented to Prof. A. A. Sobolev on the 40th anniversary of his scientific and teaching activity.] Vladivostok: Dalnevostochnii Gosudarstvennii Universitet, pp. 23–32. (In Russian).
Froese, R., & Pauly D. (2010). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Available from http://www.fishbase.org/ (accessed 6 January 2011).
Kennedy, C. R. (2006). Ecology of the Acanthocephala. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 249 pp.
Ronald, K. (1957). The metazoan parasites of the Heterosomata of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. I. Echinorhynchus laurentianus sp. nov. (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 35, 437–439.
Shostak, A. W., Dick, T. A., Szalai, A. J., & Bernier, L. M. J. (1986). Morphological variability in Echinorhynchus gadi, E. leidyi, and E. salmonis (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) from fishes in northern Canadian waters. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 64, 985–995.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr M. Nakaoka (Hokkaido University) for the use of the facilities of Akkeshi Marine Station, Dr T. Kuramochi (National Museum of Science and Nature, Tokyo) for the loan of specimens, and Y. Meguro (Hokkaido University) for help with the collection of fish samples. Part of this study was financially supported by the HiSuper program of the Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, and by a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (no. 228025 for HK).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katahira, H., Nagasawa, K. Echinorhynchus hexagrammi Baeva, 1965 (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) from marine fishes off Hokkaido, Japan, with morphological observations and new host records. Syst Parasitol 80, 35–40 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-011-9307-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-011-9307-x