Zoological Studies

Digenean Fauna in Marine Fishes from Taiwanese Waters with the Description of a New Species, Lecithochirium tetraorchis sp. nov.

Hsiu-Hui Shih, Wei Liu and Zhao-Zhi Qiu (2004) In total, 624 marine fishes (mostly bony fishes) of 37 species belonging to 29 families harvested from 4 fishing zones of Taiwanese waters were examined for their digenean fauna over a 5-year period (1998~2003). Digeneans were recovered from 17 fish species among the 37 species examined. The digenean prevalence by fish species was 45.9% (17/37) in this study. Of 28 fish species taken from 3 investigated fishing zones, located on important fishing grounds of the Taiwan Strait, a similar prevalence of 46.4% (13/28) was also shown in fish species. Totally, 16 species of digeneans belonging to 11 genera and 8 families were collected and identified. Species of the family Hemiuridae were the most-common digeneans found, with 7 species of this family being identified. Within this family, species of the genus Lecithochirium were recorded 8 times. Suggrundus longirostris Shao et Chen, 1987 is a new host record for L. magnaporum Manter, 1940. One new species, L. tetraorchis sp. nov., parasitizing Sebastiscus marmoratus Curvier, 1829, is described in this study.