First record of Philometra katsuwoni (Nematoda, Philometridae), a parasite of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis (Perciformes, Scombridae), off South American Atlantic Coast

Abstract

The nematode Philometra katsuwoni Petter & Baudin-Laurencin, 1986, a gonad-infecting parasite of Katsuwonus pelamis (Linneaus 1758), originally described from the Gulf of Guinea, is reported for the first time from the coastal zone of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. As compared with the original description, the males of the Brazilian material are generally somewhat larger and their right spicule and the gubernaculum are longer. The subgravid female is described for the first time. It is characterized by the anterior inflation of the esophagus and by the presence of two distinct caudal lobes.