Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies of nematode specimens from the digestive tract of some rarely collected anguilliform and perciform fishes off New Caledonia, three new species of Cucullanus Müller, 1777 (Cucullanidae) are described: C. austropacificus n. sp. from the longfin African conger Conger cinereus (Congridae), C. gymnothoracis n. sp. from the lipspot moray Gymnothorax chilospilus (Muraenidae), and C. incognitus n. sp. from the seabream Dentex fourmanoiri (Sparidae). Cucullanus austropacificus n. sp. is characterized by the presence of cervical alae, ventral sucker, alate spicules 1.30-1.65 mm long, conspicuous outgrowths of the anterior and posterior cloacal lips and by elongate-oval eggs measuring 89-108 × 48-57 μm; C. gymnothoracis n. sp. is similar to the foregoing species, but differs from it in the absence of cervical alae and the posterior cloacal outgrowth, in the shape and size of the anterior cloacal outgrowth and somewhat shorter spicules 1.12 mm long; C. incognitus n. sp. (based on female morphology) differs from other congeneric species parasitic in the Sparidae mainly in possessing cervical alae, the postequatorial vulva, phasmids situated at the mid-length of the tail and in the size of the eggs (75-84 × 45-66 μm). A key to species of Cucullanus parasitizing anguilliform fishes is provided.

Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle CNRS Sorbonne Université EPHE CP 51 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris France

Institute of Parasitology Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Three new species of Cucullanus (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) from marine fishes off New Caledonia, with a key to species of Cucullanus from Anguilliformes

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