title: Species of Philometra (Nematoda, Philometridae) from fishes off the Mediterranean coast of Africa, with a description of Philometra rara n. sp. from Hyporthodus haifensis and a molecular analysis of Philometra saltatrix from Pomatomus saltatrix.
abstract: Two gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda, Philometridae) were recorded for the first time from marine perciform fishes off Tunisia and Libya: Philometra rara n. sp. from the rare, deep-water Haifa grouper Hyporthodus haifensis (Serranidae) off Libya and Philometra saltatrix Ramachandran, 1973 from the bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Pomatomidae) off Tunisia. Identification of both fish species was confirmed by molecular barcoding. Light and scanning electron microscope studies of Ph. rara n. sp. showed that it is characterized by the length of spicules (216-219 μm) and the gubernaculum (90-93 μm), the gubernaculum/spicules length ratio (1:2.32-2.43), and mainly by the shape and structure of the distal end of the gubernaculum (shovel-shaped with a wide median smooth field in dorsal view), appearing as having a dorsal protuberance in lateral view, and by the structure of the male caudal mound (dorsally interrupted); large subgravid females (70-137 mm long) are characterized by the presence of four oval submedian cephalic elevations, each of them bearing a pair of cephalic papillae of the outer circle. The finding of Ph. saltatrix off Tunisia confirms that this species is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. A molecular analysis of our Ph. saltatrix specimens and other available philometrid cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) sequences showed that most species have robust clades. Sequences of Ph. saltatrix from Tunisia diverge from Ph. saltatrix from Brazil and the USA, suggesting that speciation is currently occurring between populations from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: František
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moravec
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Écosystèmes Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax (FSS), Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaabane
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Écosystèmes Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax (FSS), Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Lassad
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neifar
authors.affiliation: Service de Systématique moléculaire, UMS 2700 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 26, 43 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gey
authors.affiliation: ISYEB, Institut Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR7205 CNRS, EPHE, MNHN, UPMC, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP51, 55 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Lou
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Justine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / Q000662:veterinary; D017176:Dracunculoidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes; D008002:Libya; D008297:Male; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015995:Prevalence; D017205:Spirurida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014416:Tunisia