Some Acanthocephala and Digenea of Marine Fish from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies

Home , British West Indies, Sergeant major (fish)

J. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 60(2), 1993, pp. 270-272

Research Note Some Acanthocephala and Digenea of Marine Fish from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies

FUAD M. NAHHAS Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California 95211

ABSTRACT: A survey of 17 fishes belonging to 11 spe- (USNM) parasite collection, Beltsville, Mary- cies from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, West In- land, and Harold W. Manter Laboratory dies, led to the recovery of 2 species of acanthoceph- (HWML), University of Nebraska, Lincoln, un- alans and 9 of digeneans. The acanthocephalans found were Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) acanthuri and Doll- der the listed accession numbers. fusentis ctenorhynchus. The digeneans included Mon- Even though the present study is limited in orchimacradena acanthuri in Acanthurus bahianus (new scope, it indicates the presence of a rich parasitic host record), Bucephalus varicus, Hurleytrematoides fauna of marine fishes of Grand Cayman. Fifteen chaetodoni, Hurleytrematoides curacaensis, Multitestis chaetodoni, Lecithophyllum pyriforme, Stephanosto- (88%) of 17 fishes, representing 9 (82%) of 11 mum sentum, Podocotyle oscitans, and Helicometra host species, were infected. Of those infected, 2 equilata in Holocentrus marianus (new host record). host species (22%) harbored acanthocephlans and KEY WORDS: Acanthocephala, Digenea, marine fish, 7 (78%) had digeneans. The intensity of infection Grand Cayman, West Indies. with acanthocephlans was 5 for Acanthogyrus During a short research trip in summer (19 (Acanthosentis) acanthuri and 54 for Dollfusentis July-3 August) of 1991, 17 fishes belonging to ctenorhynchus. For digenetic trematodes, the in- 11 species were captured using traps and angling tensity ranged from 1 to 25. The exact number and examined for parasites. To the best of my for each species is given in Table 1. knowledge, this is the first report of parasites of No new species were found in this study, but fish from Grand Cayman. Two species of acan- all the parasites represent new locality records. thocephalans and 9 species of digeneans were Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) acanthuri was recovered. After washing the parasites in 0.7% originally described from Puerto Rico and re- saline, they were processed as follows: the acan- described by Schmidt (1975) from 8 specimens thocephalans were transferred to a dish contain- recovered from Acanthurus coeruleus (type host) ing tap water and placed overnight in a refrig- and A. chirugrus from Tobago, West Indies. I erator to allow protrusion of the proboscis. The agree with the revised description and measure- following day, the water was removed and quick- ments given by Schmidt (1975). Golvan (1959) ly replaced with hot alcohol-formalin-acetic acid had relegated Acanthosentis Verma and Datta, (AFA). The digenetic trematodes were studied 1929, to subgeneric status, which, apparently, alive under slight coverslip pressure and then was not accepted by Schmidt (1975) but recog- fixed with cold AFA. Both groups of parasites nized by Amin (1985). The present finding is, were stained with acetocarmine, dehydrated in therefore, the third for this species and extends an ascending series of isopropanol, cleared in its distribution to the northwestern part of the methyl salicylate, rinsed in xylol, and mounted Caribbean. This is the second report of Dollfu- in Kleermount (Carolina Biological Supply Co., sentis ctenorhynchus, an acanthocephalan origi- Burlington, North Carolina). nally reported from Jamaica. One sergeant major, Abudefduf saxatilis (Lin- Two new hosts are reported in this paper: naeus) family Pomacentridae, and 1 smooth Acanthurus bahianus for Monorchimacradena trunkfish, Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus) family acanthuri and Holocentrus marianus for Heli- Ostraciidae, lacked parasites. cometra equilata. Monorchimacradena acanthu- The species of fish, their parasites, and the ri is known from both Jamaica and Curacao. number examined and found are listed in Ta- Helicometra equilata, originally described from ble 1. Holocentrus ascensionis in Tortugas, Florida, is Representatives of some of the species are de- probably widely distributed in the Caribbean, posited in the United States National Museum having been reported from Puerto Rico, Bimini, 270

Table 1. Parasites of marine fishes from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies.

De- Acces- posited sion Host (number examined/number infected) Parasite (number of parasites) at: No.

Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855, ocean tang Monorclrimacradena acantlmri Nahhas and Cable, (1/1) 1964 (1), intestine Acanthurus coeruleus Block and Schneider, 1801, Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) acanthuri (Cable and HWML 35110 Blue tang 1/1 Quick, 1954) Golvan, 1959 (5: 2 males, 3 females), intestine Caranx bartholomaei (Cuv. and Val., 1833) (1/1) Bucephalus various Manter, 1940 (25), ceca USNM 82471 HWML 35109 Chaetodon ocellatus Bloch, 1787, common butter- Hurleytrematoides chaetodoni (Manter, 1942) Ya- USNM 82472 fly fish (4/1) maguti, 1950 (13), intestine HWML 35207 H. curacaensis Nahhas and Cable, 1964 (17), intes- USNM 82473 tine HWML 35208 Multitestis chaetodoni Manter, 1947 (4), intestine USNM 82474 Chaetodon striatus (Linn., 1758), banded butterfly Multitestis chaetodoni (4), intestine HWML 35209 fish (4/1) Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest, 1823), yellow Lecithophyltum pyriforme (Linton, 1910) Yamagu- grunt (1/1) ti, 1958 (1), intestine Haemulon sciurus (Shaw, 1803) blue-striped grunt Stephanostomwn sentum (Linton, 1910) Manter, (1/1) 1947 (1), intestine Podocotyle oscitans (Linton, 1910) Yamaguti, 1971 (4), intestine Holocentrus marianus (Cuv. and Val., 1829), long- Helicometra equi/ata (Manter, 1933) Siddiqi and USNM 82475 jaw squirrelfish (1/1) Cable, 1960 (17), intestine HWML 35210 Mulloidichthys martinicus (Cuv. and Val., 1829), Dollfusentis ctenorhynchus (Cable and Linderoth, USNM 82476 yellow goatfish (1/1) 1963) Golvan, 1969 (54: 28 females, 26 males), HWML 35111 intestine and Jamaica. Bucephalus various has been re- H. chaetodoni chiefly by absence of eye-spot pig- covered predominantly from carangid fishes of ments and wider eggs with shorter filaments. Sev- Grand Isle (Louisiana), Apalachee Bay, Tortugas, enteen individuals were found in a mixed pop- Tampa Bay, and Biscayne Bay; it is also known ulation with 13 H. chaetodoni. When several from Bimini, Curacao, and Jamaica. It is of in- worms were being observed live, it was clear that terest to note that this species has also been re- 2 species were represented. Multitestis chaeto- ported from Brazil, but neither Siddiqi and Cable doni has been reported from Tortugas, Bermuda, (1960) nor Dyer et al. (1985, 1992) found it in the Atlantic coast of Panama, and Jamaica. Leci- Puerto Rican fishes. Bucephalus varicus has a thophyllum pyriforme is widely distributed in the worldwide distribution, having been reported Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, adjacent waters, from fishes in the Red Sea, the Philippines, and and as far south as Brazil. It has been reported the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. It is quite from the Louisiana coast, Tortugas, Biscayne Bay, possible that these reports represent more than Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Curasao, Bimini, and Bra- 1 species. Characteristic features of this species zil. Stephanostomum sentum is known from Ap- include 7 tentacles, which often are not protrud- alachee Bay in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Tor- ed; instead, 7 "knob-like" structures may be tugas, Biscayne Bay, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, counted on the anterior sucker. A slight pressure and Curacao. It is also known from the Pana- on live specimens may cause partial or complete manian Pacific. Podocotyle oscitans is known protrusion of the tentacles. Hurleytrematoides from Tortugas, Biscayne Bay, Jamaica, Curacao, chaetodoni is known from Tortugas, Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico. It is also known from the Ga- Curacao, and Jamaica. Hurleytrematoides cura- lapagos Islands. qaensis described from Chaetodon capistratus and Although Grand Cayman lies well isolated in C. ocellatus from Curasao was not found in Ja- the Caribbean and separated from the nearest maica. This species may be distinguished from islands of Jamaica (southeast), Cuba (north and

Copyright © 2011, The Helminthological Society of Washington 272 northeast), Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Literature Cited Yucatan Peninsula (west) by deep channels, many Amin, O. M. 1985. Classification. Pages 27-72 in D. of its fishes are widely distributed along the shores W. T. Crompton and B. B. Nickol, eds. Biology and reefs of these lands and other Caribbean wa- of the Acanthocephala. Cambridge University ters. This is undoubtedly true of their inverte- Press, Cambridge. Dyer, W. G., E. H. Williams, Jr., and L. Bunkley- brate fauna in general and the molluscs in par- Williams. 1985. Digenetic trematodes of marine ticular. Extensive parasitological investigations fishes of the western and southwestern coasts of of these areas will, in all likelihood, reveal an Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the Helminthological equally similar parasitic fauna. Society of Washington 52:85-94. When compared to the 2 closest islands of Ja- , , and . 1992. Homalometron dowgialloi sp. n. (Homalometridae) from Hae- maica and Cuba, Cayman's parasitic fauna is mulonflavolineatum and additional records of di- closely related to the former with 9 (81.8%) of genetic trematodes of marine fishes in the West 11 species common to both areas but only 1 Indies. Journal of the Helminthological Society of species (9.1%) to Cuba. Perez Vigueras' studies Washington 59:182-189. Golvan, Y. J. 1959. Le Phylum des Acanthocephala. between 1940 and 1958 "described as new sev- Deuxieme note. La Classe des Eoacanthocephala eral (species) which were not adequately com- (Van Cleave 1936). Annales de Parasitologie Hu- pared with known ones and probably are not maine et Comparee 34:5-52. distinct from them" (Nahhas and Cable, 1964, Nahhas, F. M., and R. M. Cable. 1964. Digenetic p. 217). Additional studies from Cuba are need- and aspidogastrid trematodes from marine fishes of Curacao and Jamaica. Tulane Studies in Zo- ed. Even though deep waters and great distances ology 11:169-228. separate Grand Cayman from Curacao, Puerto Schmidt, G. D. 1975. Redescription ofAcanthosentis Rico, and Tortugas, a strong relationship of the acanthuri Cable and Quick 1954 (Acanthocephala: parasite fauna of these fishes is evident: with Quadrigyridae). Journal of Parasitology 61:865- 867. Curacao (7 or 63.6%) and Puerto Rico and Tor- Siddiqi, A. H., and R. M. Cable. 1960. Digenetic tugas (6 each or 54.5%). trematodes of marine fishes of Puerto Rico. The The author wishes to thank Dr. Thomas Byrnes, New York Academy of Science, Scientific Survey Director of the Grand Cayman Marine Labo- of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 17:257-369. ratory, for the loan of a microscope.