title: Biogeography and phylogeny of Dermoergasilus Ho & Do, 1982 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae), with descriptions of three new species.
abstract: Three new species of Dermoergasilus are described from six species of grey mullet hosts. Dermoergasilus longiabdominalis n. sp. was found on Valamugil engeli (Bleeker) from the Philippines and Madagascar and on V. cunnesius (Valenciennes) from the Philippines and Mangalore, India. D. semiamplectens n. sp. occurred on Sicamugil hamiltoni (Day) from the Sittang River, Burma, on Liza subviridis (Valenciennes) and L. parsia (Hamilton Buchanan) from Calcutta, India, and on V. cunnesius (Valenciennes) from China. D. curtus n. sp. parasitised Rhinomugil squamipinnis (Swainson) from Alahabad, India. A key to the ten currently accepted species of Dermoergasilus is given. The biogeographical distribution of Dermoergasilus species is analysed and levels of host-specificity are surveyed within the genus. The phylogenetic relationships between the species of Dermoergasilus are also analysed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: El-Rashidy
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Boxshall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005880:Gills / Q000469:parasitology; D019156:Indian Ocean; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny