Travassosnema travassosi paranaensis subsp. n. and first description of the female of Guyanema raphiodoni Moravec, Kohn and Fernandes, 1993 (Nematoda : Guyanemidae), Dracunculoid parasites of characid fishes in Brazil

Abstract

A new nematode subspecies, Travassosnema travassosi paranaensis subsp. n., is described from the body cavity of the characid fish Acestrorhynchus lacustris from the Parana River near Guaira in southern Brazil. It differs from the nominotypical subspecies T. travassosi travassosi Costa, Moreira and Oliveira, 1991 in smaller body (male and gravid female 1.6 and 2.9-3.5 mm long, respectively), rounded tail tip in female, and different number of pairs of caudal papillae in male (4 preanal and 6 postanal) ; differences in the site of localization in the host’s body and geographical distribution have also been considered. The female of another dracunculoid, Guyanema raphiodoni Moravec, Kohn and Fernandes, 1993, is described for the first time from a specimen collected from the intestine of the characid Raphiodon vulpinus originating from the type locality (the water reservoir of the hydroelectric power station of Itaipu-Foz do Iguacu, Parana R. basin).