Acanthocephalans are among the most important and injurious groups of parasites infesting the fishes of India. It has been estimated that out of 800 reported species of acanthocephalans, 229 species are from India (Alfred, 1998). Fishes seem to tolerate high intensity of worms without showing pronounced symptoms of infection, and its complications (Taraschewski, 2000). Due to lack of symptoms in early stage of acanthocephalan infection in fishes, no diagnostic tool is available except postmortem investigations and identification by a helminth taxonomist. In the present paper, an account of a new acanthocephalan parasite recovered from the intestine of a marine fish Scatophague argus (Cuv. and Val.) from Deegha, West Bengal, has been given.

1. Volume 25 Nos. 1&2
/NO/IIN JOORNIIL
OF
HELM/NTHOLOGV
(Abbr. Indian J. Helminth.)
NEW SERIES
(Founded by Late Prof. G.S. Thapar)
THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
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'Unlverslty of Lucknow
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Year- 2007
3 /- Per Volume Foreign $ 20 Per Volume
Published- December, 2007

2. Indian J. Helminth. (N.S.) 25, 2007, pp 35- 40
ON A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS TENUIPROBOSCIS
MEYERI FROM A MARINE FISH SCATOPHAGUE ARGUS
(CUV. & VAL.) AT DEEGHA, WEST BENGAL
A.M. Saxena * and Rahul Gupta
Department of Zoology
University of Lucknow
Lucknow
*E-mail: anandmsaxena@rediffmail.com; Tel. +91 9415028759
INTRODUCTION
Acanthocephalans are among the most important and injurious
groups of parasites infesting the fishes of India. It has been estimated
that out of 800 reported species of acanthocephalans, 229 species are
from India (Alfred, 1998). Fishes seem to tolerate high intensity of
worms without showing pronounced symptoms of infection, and its
complications (Taraschewski, 2000). Due to lack of symptoms in
early stage of acanthocephalan infection in fishes, no diagnostic tool
is available except postmortem investigations and identification by a
helminth taxonomist. In the present paper, an account of a new
acanthocephalan parasite recovered from the intestine of a marine fish
Scatophague argus (Cuv. and Val.) from Deegha, West Bengal, has
been given.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A large number of Scatophague argus (Cuv. & Val.) collected
from the sea coast of Deegha, West Bengal, were dissected out and
examined during the year 2007. Two specimens of male and two of
female, acanthocephalan parasite were recovered from their intestine.
After proper washing, the parasites were kept in refrigerator. This
facilitated the complete eversion of the proboscis. After it 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 parasites were stained in Acetoalum carmine,
differentiated in acid alcohol, dehydrated through ascending series of

3. 36
alcohol, cleared in xylol and mounted in canada balsam. The diagrams
were made with the aid of camera lucida. All measurements were
made in millimeter.
Tenuiproboscis meyeri n.sp.
(Fig. 1-5)
Body is elongated, cylindrical, aspinose, broad at anterior end.
and narrow towards posterior end. Proboscis claviform or filiform
with 12-14 longitudinal rows of 14-15 hooks per row in male and 16-
17 hooks per row in female. Hooks of similar shape, gradually
decreasing in size anterior-posteriorly with simple rod shaped roots.
Neck is very long and cylindrical. Trunk is broad at anterior end,
tapering towards posterior end. Proboscis receptacle long, double
walled, inserted at the base of proboscis, reaching a little in to trunk,
with ganglion a little above its base. Lemnisci are claviform, unequal,
extending up to far above anterior testis. Genital pore is terminal in
both sexes.
MALE:
Body is 6.16-7.17mm long, 0.82-0.84mm wide. Proboscis is
0.80-0.92mm long, 0.24-0.34mm wide. Proboscis hooks 0.038-
0.052mm long. Neck 1.46-1.50mm long, 0.32-0.41mm wide. Trunk is
3.91-4.74mm long, 0.82-0.84mm wide. Proboscis receptacle is 2.24-
2.38mm long, 0.22-0.26mm wide. Lemniscus of larger size 0.58-
0.61mm long, of smaller size 0.52-0.60mm long. Testes are ovoid,
obliquely tandem, in anterior half of trunk. Anterior testis is 0.30-
0.35mm long, 0.17 -0.20mm wide at 0.90-0.97mm from anterior end
of trunk. Posterior testis is O.32-0.35mm long, 0.20-0.21mm wide at
1.28-1.4lmm from anterior end of trunk. Cement gland 6, pyriform,
far behind posterior testis, 0.16-0.32mm long, O.05-0.09mm wide.
Saefftigen's pouch is pyriform, 0.47-0.68mm long, 0.17-0.22mm
wide. Bursa is elongated, with two diverticula, having no digitiform
rays, 0.70-0.84mm long, 0.11-0.25mm wide.

4. 2
~
O!~
~~
-- 3~
5 4
~ 3
Figs. Tenuiproboscis meyeri n.sp. I. Entire Male (Ventral view);2.
Male proboscis enlarged (Ventral view); 3. Female posterior end
(Dorsal view); 4; Single row of proboscis hooks of male; 5. Proboscis
Hooks enlarged
37

5. 38
FEMALE:
Body is 7.16-7.70mm long, 1.00-1.05mm wide. Proboscis is
0.91-0.92mm long, 0.30-0.31mm wide. Proboscis hooks 0.036-
O.050mm long. Neck is 1.50-1.81mm long, 0.35-0.46mm wide. Trunk
is 4.75-4.97mm long, 1.00-1.05mm wide. Proboscis receptacle is
2.30-2.46mm long, O.25-0.36mm wide. Lemniscus of larger size is
0.54-0.74mm long, of smaller size 0.50-0.75mm long. Uterus is
comparatively small. Vagina is with well developed outer and inner
sphincter with a single large vaginal bulb posterior to it. Eggs were
not observed.
HOST
Host: Scatophague argus (Cuv. & Val.) (Fig. 6)
Location: Intestine
Locality: Deegha, West Bengal, India
Environment: Marine; Family: Scatophagidae; Order: Perciformes;
Class: Actinopterygii; Common Name: Scat Fish; Distribution: Indo-
Pacific. Total dorsal spine: 10-11; Total dorsal soft rays: 16-18; Anal
spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 13-15; Body with a few large rounded
blotches. Body is quadrangular, highly compressed. Eye is moderately
large and its diameter smaller than snout length. Snout rounded.
Mouth is small, horizontal. Teeth are villiform, in several rows on
Jaws.
Fig. 6

6. DISCUSSION
The present form is referred to the genus Tenuiproboscis
Yamaguti, 1935 of which the following species viz. T. misgurni
Yamaguti, 1935; T. sergenti Choquette et Gayot, 1952; T. guptai
Gupta & Sinha, 1990; T. clupei Gupta & Sinha, 1992; T. bilqeesae
Gupta & Naqvi, 1993, T. ernakulensis Gupta & Naqvi, 1993 and T.
edmondi Gupta & Naqvi, 1993 known.
The present form differs from all the above species in having
12-14 longitudinal rows of proboscis hooks, 9 longitudinal rows of
proboscis hooks in T. misgurni, 12 longitudinal rows of proboscis
hooks in T. sergenti, 16-17 longitudinal rows in T. guptai; 14-16
longitudinal rows in T. clupei; 13-14 longitudinal rows in T.
bilqeesae; 13-15 longitudinal rows of proboscis hooks in T.
ernakulensis and 16-18 longitudinal rows in T. edmondi.
The present form further differs from T. misgurni, T. sergenti,
T. clupei, T. bilqeesae and T. edmondi in having c1aviform unequal
lemnisci instead of finger-like and equal. It further differs from T.
misgurni and T. sergenti in having testes in anterior half of trunk
instead of middle third of trunk as in T. misgurni and posterior half of
trunk as in T. sergenti, and in having bursa with two diverticula
instead of without diverticula. The present form further differs from T.
sergenti and T. clupei in having 6 cement glands instead of 4.
Accordingly, it is regarded as a new species with the specific name
Tenuiproboscis meyeri n.sp. The new species is named in honor of Dr.
A. Meyer for his distinct contribution in taxonomy of
Acanthocephalan parasites.
Key to the species
1. Lemnisci equal. 2
Lemnisci unequal 3
2. Proboscis with 910ngitudinal rows of hooks T. misgumi Yamaguti, 1935
Proboscis with 1210ngitudinal rows of hooks T. sergenti Choquette & Gayot, 1952
Proboscis with 14-161ongitudinal rows ofhook T. clupei Gupta & Sinha, 1992
Proboscis with 13-141ongitudina1 rows of hooks T. bilqeesae Gupta & Naqvi, 1993
Proboscis with 16-181ongitudinal rows ofhooks T. edmondi Gupta & Naqvi, 1993
3.Proboscis with16-171ongitudinal rows of hooks T. guptai Gupta & Sinha, 1990
Proboscis with 13-151ongitudinal rows ofhooks T. emaculensis,
Gupta & Naqvi, 1993.
Proboscis with 12-141ongitudina1 rows ofhooks ....T. meyeri n.sp.
39

7. 40
ACKNOWLEGEMENT
The authors are thankful to Prof. Nirupama Agarwal, Head,
Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow for her
keen interest and constant encouragement during this work.
REFERENCES
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