First Record of Lethrinitrema gibbus Lim and Justine, 2011 (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from Gills of Lethrinus nebulosus (Perciformes: Lethrinidae) of the Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

Lethrinitrema gibbus was re-described from gills of Lethrinus nebulosus collected from coasts of Safaga region along the Red Sea, Egypt during the period from June 2018 to January 2019. Among 30 specimens of Lethrinus nebulosus examined in this study, 7 were infected (23.33%) with Lethrinitrema gibbus. L. gibbus is an ancyrocephalid monogenean parasite distinguished from other monogeneans by a male copulatory organ (MCO) which consists of a simple tapered copulatory tube with a long base distally recurved and a thin accessory piece arises from distal part of the tube. It also possesses a haptor with four well - developed anchors; ventral anchors with lateral grooves along both sides, crown-like pieces on its inner roots and a pair of pear - shaped haptoral reservoirs with tubular extensions which bifurcate distally prior to associate with the lateral grooves along both sides of the ventral anchors. In the current study, the recovered parasite was comparable to the previously described L. gibbus. Accordingly, it is the first record of L. gibbus infecting gills of L. nebulosus in the Red Sea, Egypt.

Keywords

• lethrinitrema gibbus
• lethrinus nebulosus
• - safaga
• red sea
• egypt.