Folia Parasitologica 67:035 (2020) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.035

Wenyonia gracilis sp. n. (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea) from Synodontis zambezensis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae): the first native caryophyllidean tapeworm from southern Africa

Bjoern C. Schaeffner1, Divan van Rooyen1, Ruan Gerber1, Tomáš Scholz2, Nico J. Smit1
1 Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa;
2 Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic

Parasitological examination of freshwater fishes of the Phongolo River in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa resulted in the discovery and morphological and molecular characterisation of a new species of Wenyonia Woodland, 1923 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea). The new species from the plain squeaker, Synodontis zambezensis Peters (Siluriformes: Mochokidae), is morphologically most similar to Wenyonia acuminata Woodland, 1923, a species reported from three species of Synodontis in north-eastern, western and central Africa (Sudan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo). Both these species are markedly different from congeners by having a nematoform body and a digitiform scolex. Wenyonia gracilis sp. n. differs from W. acuminata in its general body size, length and width of main body regions (testicular and uterine regions), a posterior extension of the testes into the uterine region, numerous postovarian vitelline follicles filling the entire medulla, eggs c. 1/3 larger in size, and a scolex with an apical introvert but devoid of longitudinal furrows and a well-defined base. Wenyonia gracilis is the seventh species in the genus and the first autochthonous caryophyllidean ever reported and described from southern Africa (south of the Zambezi River).

Keywords: Tapeworms, fish parasites, new species, molecular characterisation, taxonomy, biodiversity, biogeography, South Africa

Received: July 14, 2020; Revised: August 26, 2020; Accepted: November 12, 2020; Published online: December 7, 2020  Show citation

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Schaeffner, B.C., van Rooyen, D., Gerber, R., Scholz, T., & Smit, N.J. (2020). Wenyonia gracilis sp. n. (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea) from Synodontis zambezensis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae): the first native caryophyllidean tapeworm from southern Africa. Folia Parasitologica, 67, Article 2020.035. https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2020.035
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