Digenetic trematodes from mullets of Visakhapatnam (India)

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Abstract
In the course of a survey carried out on the digenetic trematode fauna of three species of mullets Mugil cephalus, Liza macrolepis and Valamugil cunnesius collected from various brackish water localities at Visakhapatnam, 15 species of adult digenetic trematodes and 9 species of metacercariae were encountered. The adult digeneans are distributed over 7 families as follows: Transversotrematidae (1), Haploporidae (6), Haplosplanchnidae (2), Lepocreadiidae (1), Gorgoderidae (1), Bunocotylidae (3) and Bivesiculidae (1). Five new species, Haploporus indicus, H. pseudoindicus, Lecithobotrys mugilis, Carassotrema bengalense and Saturnius valamugilis are described. Other species reported are: Transversotrema patialense, Pseudohapladena bengalense, Saccocoelioides martini, Haplosplanchnus purii, H. caudatus, Phyllodistomum lewesi, Crassicutis karwarensis, Saturnius segmentatus, Aphanurus harengulae and Paucivitellosus sp. The nine species of metacercariae collected from mullets belonged to 5 families: Clinostomidae (1), Heterophyidae (5), Acanthostomatidae (1), Cryptogonimidae (1) and Didymozoidae (1). The various metacercariae collected are: Clinostomum sp., Haplorchis yokogawai, Centrocestus formosanus, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Stictodora sp., Galactosomum ussuriense, Atrophecaecum burminis and Exorchis sp. The characteristic features of the trematode fauna of mullets are discussed. Support is given to Manter's ecological bridge theory that mullets act as links in the intertransfer of parasites between marine and freshwater habitats.