Description of male and redescription of female Phlyctainophora squali Mudry and Dailey, 1969 (Nematoda; Dracunculoidea) from elasmobranchs

Abstract

Coiled globose nematodes identified as Phlyctainophora squali Mudry and Dailey, 1969 (Nematoda; Dracunculoidea) were found associated with ulcer-like and cyst-like lesions on the external surface and in the buccal cavity of 19 of 63 Squalus acanthias, 1 of 21 Heterodontus francisci, 1 of 117 Rhinobatus productus, and 7 of 16 Prionace glauca from the California Bight (northeast Pacific). A single male worm was recovered from one of the cysts in S. acanthias and the present redescription of the species includes the first description of a male Phlyctainophora. Certain characters of the male (i.e., form of cephalic extremity, reduced caudal alae, reduced number of caudal papillae) agree with those of members of the Philometridae; other characters of the male (form of the oesophagus) and female (monodelphy) agree with those of the Guyanemidae. Phlyctainophora is treated as a Dracunculoidea incertae sedis.