Specimens of two undescribed and one known gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae) were collected in some marine fishes from off the southern coast of Iraq. Based on light and scanning electron microscopy, the following new species are described: Philometra tayeni n. sp. (males and nongravid females) from ovaries of the purple-spotted bigeye Priacanthus tayenus Richardson (Priacanthidae, Acanthuriformes), and Philometra nibeae n. sp. (males and gravid female) from the ovary of the blotched croaker Nibea maculata (Bloch et Schneider) (Sciaenidae, Acanthuriformes). Philometra tayeni is mainly characterised by a pair of postanal papillae and a V-shaped caudal mound in males and by their body lengths (2.42-2.99 mm), whereas P. nibeae differs from its gonad-infecting congeners parasitising scienids mainly based on the body length of males (2.29-2.49 mm) and their spicules (96-117 µm), absence of a pair of postanal papillae and shape of caudal mound consisting of two parts. Philometra piscaria Moravec & Justine, 2014 (males and nongravid females), a parasite of the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton) (Epinephelidae, Perciformes), is recorded from the Arabian (= Persian) Gulf for the first time; previously unknown females of this species are described.

• MeSH
• Dracunculoidea * MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Gonads parasitology   MeSH
• Nematoda * MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Fish Diseases * parasitology   MeSH
• Perciformes * parasitology   MeSH
• Bass * parasitology   MeSH
• Fishes MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Iraq MeSH

Recent examinations of some marine fishes from off the southern coast of Iraq revealed the presence of two species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae): P. parabrevicollis n. sp. (males and subgravid and nongravid females) from the ovary of the bigeye snapper Lutjanus lutjanus Bloch (Perciformes, Lutjanidae) and Philometra sp. (subgravid females) from the ovary of the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) (Perciformes, Platycephalidae). Specimens of species are described and illustrated based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations. Philometra parabrevicollis n. sp. is mainly characterised by the length of spicules (267-285 µm) and gubernaculum (159-168 µm), the gubernaculum/spicule length ratio (1:1.64-1.76), the structure of the gubernaculum distal tip and of the male caudal end, and the body length of males (4.03-4.90 mm). The description of this new species again confirms a high degree of host specificity of gonad-infecting species of Philometra in congeneric lutjanid hosts. Although Philometra sp. parasitising P. indicus in Iraqi waters was previously recorded, its subgravid females are described for the first time. A key to gonad-infecting species of Philometra parasitic in fishes of the family Lutjanidae is provided.

• MeSH
• Dracunculoidea anatomy & histology   classification   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Host Specificity MeSH
• Fishes parasitology   MeSH
• Aquatic Organisms classification   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Iraq MeSH

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, three new species of philometrids (Nematoda: Philometridae) are described from females collected in marine perciform fishes off the northern coast of Australia: Philometra gracilis n. sp. and Philometroides branchiarum n. sp. from tissues behind the gills and gill arches, respectively, of the John's snapper Lutjanus johnii (Bloch) (Lutjanidae), and Philometroides stomachicus n. sp. from the stomach wall of the blackspotted croaker Protonibea diacanthus (Lacépède) (Sciaenidae). Philometra gracilis differs from other congeners described from the Lutjanidae mainly in the presence of large caudal projections, short gravid females (28-42 mm long), the oesophageal gland extending anteriorly far anterior to the level of the nerve-ring, the site in the host and its geographical distribution. Philometroides branchiarum is mainly characterised by the possession of conspicuous, sclerotised oesophageal teeth and very short gravid females (6-8 mm long), whereas P. stomachicus can be differentiated by the body length of gravid females (85-90 mm), the length of the oesophagus (2.67 mm) representing 3% of the body length, the maximum width/body length ratio of gravid females (1:28-32), cuticular bosses densely distributed throughout the body but absent from the oesophageal region, the absence of oesophageal teeth and caudal projections, and the site in the host. The presence of P. gracilis and P. branchiarum in L. johnii and that of P. stomachicus in P. diacanthus confirm the possibility of the coexistence of more philometrid species in different sites within sympatric specimens of one and the same definitive host.

• MeSH
• Dracunculoidea anatomy & histology   classification   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Perciformes parasitology   MeSH
• Gills parasitology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Australia MeSH
• Pacific Ocean MeSH

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, the following five species of philometrid nematodes (Nematoda: Philometridae) are described from marine fishes from off Basrah, southern Iraq (Arabian Gulf): Philometra iraqiensis n. sp. (females) from the abdominal cavity and ovary of the Klunzinger's mullet Liza klunzingeri (Day) (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae), P. megalaspidis n. sp. (females) from the ovary of the torpedo scad Megalaspis cordyla (Linnaeus) (Perciformes: Carangidae), Philometra sp. 1 (females) from the ovary of the greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Bloch) (Aulopiformes: Synodontidae), Philometra sp. 2 (females) from the ovary of the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae) and Philometroides eleutheronemae Moravec & Manoharan, 2013 (male and females) from the ovary of the fourfinger threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw) (Perciformes: Polynemidae). The new species are characterised mainly by the body length, the length and structure of the oesophagus and caudal end and by the family of their fish hosts. The male and the gravid female of P. eleutheronemae are described for the first time; the finding of this species in Iraqi waters represents the first record of this nematode in the region of the Arabian (=Persian) Gulf.

• MeSH
• Dracunculoidea anatomy & histology   classification   ultrastructure   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Oceans and Seas MeSH
• Perciformes parasitology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Iraq MeSH
• Oceans and Seas MeSH