A Systematic Study of Some Cestodes from New Zealand Marine Fishes and Marine Mammals

Abstract

Twenty-six species of cestodes comprising 17 adults and 11 larvae are recorded. Both the larval and adult stages of two species are described. Two hundred and six marine fish belonging to 46 species of 45 genera and nineteen marine mammals belonging to two species have been examined for larval and adult cestodes. Among the marine fishes, cestodes were present in all twelve species of elasmobranchs examined, and were present in thirteen species of teleosts. Cestodes were not recovered from 21 species of 20 genera of teleosts. Three orders are represented by the twenty-six species of cestodes recorded. O. Tetraphyllidea, O. Trypanorhyncha and O. Pseudophyllidea. The O. Tetraphyllidea is represented by 10 species, the O. Trypanorhyncha by 11 species. Sixteen of the 17 adult species are restricted to a single host species. Larvae are much less host specific. The following six new species are fully described and figured:- Acanthobothrium microacanthum, Echinobothrium coronatum, Gymnorhynchus (Molicola) thyrsitidis, Gymnorhynchus (Gymnorhynchus) isuri, Parachristianella aetobatidis, Eubothrium musculosum.