title: Pelopscreadium aegyptense n. gen., n. sp. and Pelopscreadium spongiosum (Bray & Cribb, 1998) n. comb., (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae), each from disjunct populations of the Yellow boxfish, Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus (Ostraciidae).
abstract: Bianium spongiosum Bray & Cribb, 1998 (Lepocreadiidae), described from the yellow boxfish, Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus (Ostraciidae), off Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, possesses a combination of the following three morphological features which distinguishes it from all the other species currently assigned to the genus: (1) large internal patches of large cells forming sponge-like pads we have termed "pelops"("pelop" sing.) laterally in the forebody extending from near the anterior extremity to about the level of the intestinal bifurcation rather than possessing a scoop; (2) ceca that reach to near the posterior extremity where they end blindly without ani; and (3) a vitellarium which is present laterally but not dorsal to the ceca. Based on this we propose the erection of Pelopscreadium n. gen. (Lepocreadiidae) with the assignment of B. spongiosum to this new genus as the type-species, Pelopscreadium spongiosum (Bray & Cribb, 1998) n. comb. Pelopscreadium aegyptense n. sp., also from the yellow boxfish but from the Red Sea off Sharm El-Naga, Egypt, is described as the second member of the new genus because it shares these three characteristics with P. spongiosum.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2258, USA.; Email: n-dronen@tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Norman O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Dronen
authors.affiliation: 58 Rock Creek Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas 78412-4214, USA.; Email: ilovethesea@att.net.
authors.forename: Charles K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Blend
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, 71515 Assiut, Egypt.; Email: rkhalifa_eg@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Refaat M A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Khalifa
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt.; Email: dr_hodasm60@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hoda S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Mohamadain
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt.; Email: yasser.karar@sci.svu.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Yasser F M
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Karar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes; D019156:Indian Ocean / Q000453:epidemiology; D010140:Pacific Ocean / Q000453:epidemiology; D014200:Trematoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*