Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2006, 111-118 Frantisek Moravec(1)*, Sonia Ternengo(2) and Celine Levron(1,2) - Three species of Philometra (Nematoda, Philometridae) from
marine fishes off Corsica, France
(1)Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic;
(2)Laboratoire "Parasites et Ecosystemes Mediterraneens", Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Universite de Corse, B.P. 52, 20 250 Corte,
France
*Corresponding author: moravec@paru.cas.cz
ABSTRACT
Gravid or subgravid females of the following three species belonging to the nematode genus Philometra were collected from
marine perciform fishes of the Bonifacio Strait Marine Reserve, Corsica, France: Philometra justinei sp. nov. (prevalence 1.5%,
intensity 11) and Philometra sp. (prevalence 3%, intensity 2) from the abdominal cavity and gonads, respectively, of the striped
red mullet Mullus surmuletus (Mullidae), and Philometra serranellicabrillae Janiszewska, 1949 (prevalence 27%, intensity
2-6) from the gonads of the comber Serranus cabrilla (Serranidae). The newly described species, P. justinei, is mainly characterized
by the absence of an anterior bulbous inflation of the oesophagus, body length of the gravid female (196 mm), conspicuously
large amphids, number and distribution of cephalic papillae, and the morphology of larvae. It is the second known
species of Philometra parasitizing fishes of the family Mullidae and the ninth species of this genus reported from marine fishes
of the Mediterranean region. P. serranellicabrillae, studied for the first time by SEM, is redescribed.
KEY WORDS: Parasitic nematodes, Philometra, marine fish, Mullus surmuletus, Serranus cabrilla, Corsica, Mediterranean Sea