title: Helicometrina nimia Linton, 1910 (Digenea: Opecoelidae) in dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) (Teleostei: Serranidae) from southeastern Brazil.
abstract: Helicometrina nimia (Opecoelidae) is a digenean with wide distribution. Fish families most commonly used as hosts for H. nimia are Serranidae, Pomodasydae, Scorpaenidae and Clinidae. In the present study, a new host and a new host locality are presented for the species. A description of the studied specimens, besides comments concerning its taxonomic status and biometrically compared tables of H. nimia reports are given. The taxonomic status of members of Helicometrina has been questionable. The greatest controversy for the genus seems to be related to the validity of diagnostic features, especially in regard to the number of testes. In the present study, all studied specimens presented a permanent and steady number of testes (n=9) and therefore its use as a diagnostic character is supported by the present authors. Epinephelus marginatus is considered a new host for Helicometrina nimia, and São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, a new locality for the species.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Organisms Health Laboratory ? AQUOS, Aquaculture Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina ? UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roumbedakis
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Organisms Health Laboratory ? AQUOS, Aquaculture Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina ? UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Organisms Health Laboratory ? AQUOS, Aquaculture Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina ? UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia de Parasitos de Organismos Aquáticos, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul ? UFRGS, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira Junior
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária ? EMBRAPA-CPACT, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: L A S
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Organisms Health Laboratory ? AQUOS, Aquaculture Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina ? UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*