title: A new species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the freshwater fish (red piranha) Pygocentrus nattereri Kner (Characidae) in Amazonia, Brazil.
abstract: A new nematode species, Philometra nattereri n. sp. (Philometridae), is described from female specimens found in the oculo-orbits and nasal cavity of the red piranha Pygocentrus nattereri Kner (Characiformes: Characidae) from five lakes in Central Amazonia, Brazil, collected in 2008 and 2009 (overall prevalence 12%, intensity 1-3 nematodes per fish). Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examination, the new species differs from most other congeners parasitising freshwater fishes in that its oesophageal gland extends anteriorly far anterior to the level of the nerve-ring, in the presence of 14 small cephalic papillae arranged in two circles and in having two minute caudal projections. This is the first species of Philometra Costa, 1845 reported from fishes of the family Characidae and the second valid species of this genus parasitic in freshwater fishes of Brazil and South America.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Helmintos Parasitos de Peixes, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. melissaq@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Melissa Q
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.forename: František
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moravec
authors.forename: Berenice M M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Aprigio Mota
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Morais
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D060125:Characiformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D017176:Dracunculoidea / Q000145:classification* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning