Acathocephalan of genus Raosentis are intestinal parasites of fresh water fishes. Subfamily Pallisentinae of order Gyracanthocephala includes four genera namely Acanthosentis (Verma & Datta,1929), Acanthogyrus (Thaper, 1927), Pallisentis (Van Cleave,1928) and Raosentis (Datta, 1947). The genus Raosentis was established By Datta (1947) with Raosentis podderi as its type species from a fresh water fish Mystus cavasius from Culcutta. The genus Raosentis differs from all the above genus in having proboscis armed with anterior two circle of hooks longer than posterior two circle with hook less space between second and third circle of hooks. The present study deals with the description of Raosentis lucknowensis n.sp.

1. Published-December, 2013
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THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA, LUCKNOW
(Registered under Act 21 of 1960) .
INDIAN JOURNAL
OF
HELM.INTHOLOGY
(Abbr. Indian J. Helminth.)
NEW SERIES
(Founded by Late Prof. G.S. Thapar)
ISSN 0019-5227
Volume 32 Nos 1 &2

2. Indian J. Iielminth (N.S.) 2014, 33, pp 11-16
On anewAcanthocephalan Raosentis (Patta, 1928)
Recovered from intestine ofMystus Vittatus (Bloch) of
River Gomti at Lucknow
A.M. Saxena, Rahul Gupta1, SamtaJohri2 andRamakant
DepartmentofZoology,UniversityofL�cknow,Lucknow-U.P.
1AmityInstituteofBiotechnology,AmityUniversity,Lucknow-U�P.
2
Department ofZoolo�;MahilaP.G College,Lucknow-U.P.
Introduction
Acathocephalan ofgenus Raosentis (Datta 1928) are intestinal
• I
parasites of fresh water fi�hes. Subfarµily Pallisentinae of order
/ ·, I
GyracanthocephalaincludesfourgeneranamelyAcanthosentis (Verma&
Datta,1929),AcanthogynJS(fhaper,1927),Ppllisentis(VanCleave,!�28)
and Raosentis (Datta, 1947). The genus Raosentiswas established by
Datta(1947) with Raosentispodderias itstypespecies Wmafresh�ter
fishMystllS cavasiusfromCulcutta.The genus Raosentisdiffers fromall
theabovegenus�havingproboscisarmedwithanteriortwocircleofhooks
longerthanposteriortwo circlewithhook lessspacebetweensecondand
third circle ofhooks. The present study deals with the description of
Raosentis lucknowensis n.sp.

3. 12
Body small, fusiform, slightly curved posteriorly. Proboscis
slightlyelongated armed with 4 circles of hooks, each with 8 hooks.
H~~ks' o'r first and second circles are stouter and larger than hooks of
third,and fourth circle. There is a free space devoid of spines between
second and third circle of hooks. Hypodermal nuclei 3 dorsal and 3
ventral. Proboscis receptacle single layered with ganglion at its base.
Lemnisci sub-equal, longer than proboscis receptacle. Anterior region
of trunk with 28-30 rows with minute spines extending up to the anterior
Raosentis lucknowensis n.sp
(Fig.t',~-E)
· :· Three specimens of male and one female of this form were
recovered from intestine of fresh water fish Mystus vittatus (Bloch,
1793).froril the riverGomti at Lucknow.
Fishes were collected from the river Gomti at Lucknow. Fishes
were dissected and examination of alimentary canal was made.
Acanthocephalan parasites recovered from the intestine were kept in
refrigerator before fixing for complete eversion ofthe proboscis. Parasites
were flattened under slightpressureofcoverglassand fixed inA.F.A. fixative.
The parasites were stained in Acetoalum carmine, dehydrated through
ascendinggradesofalcohol,cleared'inXylolandmowitedinDPX.Diagrams
were made with the aid ofCameraLucida, Measurements (in millimeter) of
worms were taken with the help ofcalibrated ocular micrometer.
Materials and methods

4. Figure-I: Raosentis Lucknowensis .sp.(A-Entire view of Male, B-
Posterior end of Female, G- Proboscis enlarged, D-Proboscis Hooks,
E-Eggs)
13
B
I
~
0.05111• ~ ~
. E ,
c

5. Locality
Mystus vittatus (Bloch, 1793)
Intestine
River Gomti (Lucknow)
14
Host
Location
Female larger than males, 6.3 mm long and 0.83 mm wide. The
body cavity of gravid female is filled with ovarian balls and embryonated
eggs, 0.035-0.045 mm long and 0.02-0.025 mm wide.
Body of males 1.93-3.30 mmlong, 0.42-0.56 mmwide. Proboscis
0.19-0.25 mm long, 0.1-0.18 mm wide. Proboscis hooks offirst circle
0.08-0.09 mm long, ofsecond circle 0.07-0.09.mm long, of third circle
0.03-0.04 mm long, and of fourth circle 0.03-0.04 mm long. Proboscis
sheath single layered measuring 0.2-0.38 mm long, 0.07-0.1 mm wide.
Right lemniscus 0.39-0.61 mm long,0.04-0.05 mmwide. Left lemniscus
_ 0.4-0.65 mm long, 0.04-0.05 mmwide. Testes sub-spherical, contiguous,
tendem and post-equatorial. Anterior testis 0.26-0.28 mm long, 0.17-0.27
mm wide. Posterior testis smaller than anterior, 0.22-0.23 mm long, 0.2-
0.25 mm wide. Cement gland single, syncytial, cylindrical or ovoid mass
with 10-12 nuclei lyingjust behind.testes, 0.19-0.37 mm long, 0.16-0.21
mm wide. Seminal vesicle 0.17-0.33 mm long and 0.04-0.11 mm wide.
Cement reservoir 0.11-0.22 mm long, 0.09-0.17 mm wide. From each
testis a vas deferens runs down in close association with cement gland and
cement rese~oir andjoins bursa. Bursa elongated 0.17-0.32 mm long and
0.07-0.09 mmwide.
testis. Testes contiguous, tendem, sub ...spherical, post-equatorial, anterior
testis larger than posterior.

6. , Datta, M~ N. 1947._ Acanthocephala from India. III. A new genus of
Acanptocephala parasites of the family Quadrigyridae from Calcutta
fish, Mystus cavassius. Records ofIndian Museum 44:363-365.
15
References
Authors arethankfulto University Grants Commission {UGC),New
Delhi for the financial assistance to present work.
Acknowledgement
The present form differs from allthe above mentioned forms except
R. thapari inhaving hypodennal nuclei dorsally and ventrally 3 pairs and in
having eight hooks on third and fourth ro"' of proboscis hooks but differ
from it inhaving 28-30 rows .oftrunk spines, instead nine rows and position
and size of testis. Accordingly, it is regarded as new specimen with the
· specific name Raosentis lucknowensis n.sp. Name of new species is based
on type locality.
. .
datti (Gupta & Fatma, 1985) and R. godavarensis (Vankara & '
Vijayalakshmi, 2009) are known so for from India
Datta (1947) established the genus Raosentis with Raosentis
poddari as its type species from a fresh water fish Mystus cavasius .At
present the genus Raoseruis have following species viz., Rpoddari (Datta,
. , . .
1947), R. thapari (Rai, 1967), R. ivaniosi (George & Nadakal, 1978),R.
Discussion:
4 Specimens from O1 host out of 1_0 examined
Prevalence

7. 16
Gupta, V. & ·Fatma,S. 1985. -On some Acanthocephala parasites
.(Quadrigyridae) from fishes ofUttar Pradesh and TamilNadu. Indian
J. Helminth; 37:149-180.
George, P. V. & Nadakal, A. M. 1978.Four new spesies of
Acanthocephalan from brackish and fresh water fishes of Kerala.
Aquatic Biology; Vol. 3: 79-90.
Rai P 1967.0il four acanthocephalan genera parasitic infreshwater flshes
with· description ofthree new species. Indian J Helminth, 19:27-
44.
S.B. Bhattacharya 2007. Handbook on Indian Acanthocephala.Pp, 1-
125. Published byZoological Survey ofIndia, Kolkata, India. ~
Vankara A. P. & Vijayalakshmi C. 2009. Metazoan parasites of Mystus
vittatus (Bloch) ofRiver Godavari with description of a new
species ofAcanthocephala, Raosentis godavarensis sp. nov. J
Parasit Dis (June & December 2009) 33:77-83.
Yamaguti, S/1971. Systema Helminthum, Volume V,Acanthocephala.
Interscience Publisher 1-350