During examination of intestine of marine fish, Drepane punctata (Cuv. & Val.) collected from Deegha, West Bengal, three specimens of an acanthocephalan parasite belonging to the genus Longicollum Yamaguti (1939), including two female and one male, were recovered from the intestine of the host. On subsequent study, the worm appears to be new and is described here in as new species.

1. Nos. 1&2
DIAN JOURNAL
OF
HELMINTHOLOGY
(Abbr. Indian J. Helminth.s
NEW SERIES
(Founded by Late Prof. C.S. Thapar)
THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
C/o Department of Zoology
University of Lucbnow
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&
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Lucbnow
Year- 2008
- Per Volume Foreign $ 20 Per Volume
Published- December. 2008

2. Indian J. Helminth. (N.S.) 2008, 26, pp 29-34
LO GICOLLUM DATTAI N. SP. (ACANTHOCEPHALA:
o PHORHYNCHIDAE YAMAGUTI, 1939) FROM INTESTINE OF
DREPANE PUNCTATA (CUV. & VAL.) FROM DEEGHA
A.M. Saxena, Samta Johri* and Rahul Gupta
Department of Zoology.
University of Lucknow,
Lucknow-226 007, U.P.,
E-mail: anandmsaxena@rediffmail.com
*Departrnent of Zoology, Mahila P.O. College, Lucknow, D.P.
INTRODUCTION
During examination of intestine of marine fish, Drepane punctata (Cuv. &
Val.) collected from Deegha, West Bengal, three specimens of an
acanthocephalan parasite belonging to the genus Longicollum Yamaguti (1939),
including two female and one male, were recovered from the intestine of the host.
On subsequent study, the worm appears to be new and is described here in as new
species.
MATERIAL & METHODS
After proper washing, the parasites were kept III refrigerator. This
facilitated the complete eversion of the proboscis. The parasites were flattened
under slight pressure of cover glass and fixed in A.F.A. fixative (50% alcohol,
formalin and acetic acid in ratio of 100:6:2.5). The worms were stained in
aqueous Aceto alum carmine, differentiated in acid water, dehydrated through
ascending series of alcohol, cleared in xylol and mounted in Canada balsam. The
diagrams were made with the aid of camera lucida. All measurements are in
millimeter.

3. Longicollum dattai n.sp.
(Fig. 1-4)
Body is elongated, aspinose, swollen anteriorly and tapering posteriorly.
Male is smaller than female. Proboscis is club shaped, with 14 longitudinal rows
of hooks, 14 hooks per row in male and 15-16 hooks per row in female. Hooks are
of different shape. Hooks of anterior region are stout and much curved, of middle
region are small, thin and less curved, of posterior region are smallest. Neck is
long and unarmed. Proboscis receptacle is cylindrical, double walled, originating
from anterior margin of neck and extends into the trunk, having ganglion a little
in front of its base. Lemnisci are equal, cylindrical and extend up to little anterior
to proboscis receptacle. Genital pore is terminal in both the sexes.
MALE
Body is 7.80 mrn long and 1.09 rom" ide. Proboscis is 0.82 rom long and
0.28 rom wide. Hooks of anterior region are O. 46-0. 8 rom long, of middle
region 0.032-0.035 rnm long and of posterior region 0.03 -0.039 mm long. Teck
is 1.80 rom long and 0.30 rom wide. Trunk is .20 mm long and 1.09 mm ide.
Proboscis receptacle is 2.55 mm long and 0.13 mID wide. Lemnisci are 0.23 rnm
long. Testes are oval, sub-equal, united by genital ligament in anterior third of
trunk. Anterior testis is 0.42 rom long and 0.21 nun wide, located at 1.18 mm
from the anterior end of trunk. Posterior testis is smaller than anterior testis, 0.40
rom long and 0.26 mID wide at 1.53 mm from anterior end of trunk. Cement
glands are 6, pyriform, massed together far behind posterior testis, 0.20-0.25 rom
long and 0.10-0.11 mm wide. Saeffiigen's pouch is pyriform, 0.46 rom long and
0.18 nun wide. Bursa is elongated, without diverticula, 0.71 mm long and 0.21
mmwide.
FEMALE
Body is 9.30-10.95 mm long and 0.94-1.25 mm wide. Proboscis is 0.80-
0.98 rom long and 0.94-1.25 rom wide. Hooks of anterior region are 0.43-0.50
rom long, of middle region 0.032-0.040 rom long, of posterior region 0.044-0.052
rom long. Neck is 1.70-2.16 nun long and 0.38-0.40 mm wide. Trunk is 6.16-8.45
rom long and 0.94-1.25 rom wide. Proboscis receptacle is 2.75-3.21 rom long and
30

4. 0.15-0.16 mm wide. Lemnisci are 0.34-0.35 mm long. Uterine bell is short and
wide. Uterus is thick walled and with vaginal sphincter. Eggs were not observed.
HOST
Family: Drepaneidae; Order: Perciformes; Class: Actinopterygii; Common Name:
Spotted sickle fish; Distribution: Indo-West Pacific (temperate and tropical waters
from India to Northern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan
and Japan).
Host: Drepane punctata (Cuv. & Val.)
Location: Intestine
Locality: Deegha, West Bengal, India
Environment: Marine
DISCUSSION
The present form is referred to the genus Longicollum Yamaguti, 1935 of which
the following species viz., L. pagrosomi Yamaguti, 1935; L. alemniscus Harada,
1935 (syn. Spirorhynchus); L. minor Fukui and Morisita, 1936; L. chabanaudi
Dollfus and Go Ivan, 1963; L. indicum Gupta and Gupta, 1970; L. psettodesai
Gupta and Gupta, 1979; L. cadenati and L. quiloni Gupta and Naqvi, 1982 and L.
engraulisi Gupta and Fatma, 1983 are known so far. The present form chiefly
differs from all the above species except L. psettodesai, L. quiloni and L.
engraulisi in having equal lemnisci and 14 longitudinal rows of proboscis hooks.
It also differs from L. psettodesai, L. quiloni and L. engraulisi in the extension of
lemnisci a little anterior to proboscis receptacle and number of hooks per row in
proboscis. The new form further differs from L. quiloni and L. engraulisi in
ring testes pre-equatorial instead of post-equatorial. It is, therefore, regarded a
ies and named Longicollum dattai n. sp. in honour of Dr. M.M. Datta,
Zologi al ur 'e of India, Kolkata, for his outstanding contribution in taxonomy
of Acanthocephalan parasites,
31

5. 3
,
Figs. Longicollum dattai n.sp. 1. Entire Male; 2. Female posterior end (dorsal
view); 3. Single row of proboscis hooks of female; 4. Proboscis hooks enlarged.
32

6. Key to the species
1. Lemnisci equal.. 2
Lemnisci unequaL 5
Lemnisci absent. L. indicum Gupta and Gupta, 1970
2. Lemnisci extend beyond proboscis receptacle 3
Lemnisci extend little anterior to Proboscis receptacle L dattai n. sp.
3. Proboscis with 16-17 hooks per row L. quiloni Gupta and Naqvi, 1982
Proboscis with less than 16-17 hooks perrow ..... .4
4. Testes pre-equatorial. L. psettodesai Gupta and Gupta, 1979
Testes post-equatorial.. L. engraulisi Gupta and Fatma, 1983
5. Cement gland 6 and testes equatorial 6
Cement gland 6 and testes pre-equatorial. 7
6. Cement glands far behind posterior testes L. pagrosomi Yamaguti, 1935
Cement glands just behind posterior testes L. alemniscus Harada, 1935
7. Proboscis 11-12 hooks per row L. cadenati Gupta and Naqvi, 1982
Proboscis 13-15 hooks per row 8
8. Lemnisci reduced L. chabanaudi Dollfus and Golvan, 1963
Lemnisci well developed L. minor Fukui and Morisita, 1936
REFERENCES
Dollfus, R.Ph. & Galvan, Y.J. 1963. Extensional Afrique due su de la distribution
geographique lay genera Longicollum S. Yarnaguti, 1935. L.
chabanaudi n. sp. (Palaeacanthocephala, Po mphorhynchidae )
parasited Un Barnardichthys (Soleidae). Bull. Soc. Zoo!' Er. 88: 63-
71.
Fukui, T. & Morisita, T. 193"6. Three new species of Acanthocephala from Japan
(A preliminary note). Dobu. Zasshi. 48: 759-764 .
.K. & Gupta, K. 1970. Longicollum indicum n. sp. from Tylosurus
trongylarus from South India. Res. Bull. Panjab Univ. Sci. 21: 507-
sio.
33

7. Gupta, S.P. & Gupta, R.C. 1979. On six new acanthocephalan parasites from
marine fishes of Arabian sea at Quilon, Kerala. Ind. 1. Helminthol.
31: 135-156.
Gupta, S.P. & Naqvi, M. 1982. On some acanthocephalan parasites of marine
fishes from India and Pakistan. Ind. J Helminthol. 34: 61-84.
Gupta, V. & Fatma, S. 1983. On some Acanthocephalan parasites of fishes. Ind. 1.
Helmintho!. 35: 137-154.
Harada, 1. 1935. Zur Acanthocephalan Fauna Von Japan. Mem. Rec. Soc. Agric.
Taihoku Imp. Univ. 14: 7-23.
Yamaguti, S. 1935. Studies on the Helminth fauna of Japan Acanthocephala 1.
Jpn. J. Zoo!' 6: 247.
Yamaguti, S. 1939. Idem, Pt. 29. Acanthocephala, II. Ibid, 13: 317-351.
34