Family CHIMAERICOLIDAE Brinkmann, 1942

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Introduction

The Chimaericolidae occur exclusively on chimaeras (Holocephali), an ancient group of cartilaginous "sharks". Members of this family include some of the largest representatives of the Polyopisthocotylea, with some specimens >2 cm long. The Chimaericolidae has long been recognised as an extremely interesting taxon in the context of polyopisthocotylean phylogeny (Beverley-Burton et al. 1993) and is considered basal together with the Diclybothriidea (Hayward 2005).

Worldwide, the family comprises three species from two genera: Chimaericola Brinkmann, 1942 and Callorhynchicola Brinkmann, 1952; only one species of Chimaericola has been recorded from Australia.

Diagnosis

Body divided into broad anterior region (main-body) containing reproductive structures, elongate narrow stalk and haptor. Eyes lacking. Circum-oral and buccal suckers lacking; pharynx present; intestinal caeca laterally diverticulate in main-body region, extending, via stalk, into haptor. Haptor with four pairs of symmetrically arranged clamps, each with three sclerites: one median and two lateral; one pair of hamuli; marginal hooks of larva may or may not persist on adult haptor. Testes numerous, post-ovarian, at posterior end of main-body. Vas deferens leading to male copulatory complex, muscular and protrusile through genital pore. Germarium follicular; genito-intestinal canal present; uterus elongate, looping to genital pore. Genital pore ventro-medial, at, or anterior to, level of vitelline follicles, and anterior to level of vaginal pores. Two ventral vaginal pores, one on each side; vaginae passing posteriorly to open separately into vitelline ducts. Vitellarium follicular restricted to main-body region, in two lateral bands, overlying diverticula of intestinal caeca. Parasitic on gills of Chimaeriformes (Holocephali). Type-genus: Chimaericola Brinkmann, 1942. Additional genus: Callorhynchicola Brinkmann, 1952 (from Beverley-Burton et al, 1991).

General References

Beverley-Burton, M., Chisholm, L.A. & Allison, F.R. 1993. The species of Callorhynchicola Brinkmann (Monogenea: Chimaericolidae) from CaUorhinchus spp. (Chimaeriformes: Callorhinchidae): adult morphology and the larval haptor. Systematic Parasitology 24: 201-215

Beverley-Burton, M., Chisholm, L.A. & Last, P. 1991. Two new species of Chimaericola Brinkmann (Monogenea: Chimaericolidae) from Hydrolagus spp. (Chimaeriformes: Chimaeridae) in the Pacific. Systematic Parasitology 18: 59-66

Beverley-Burton, M & Whittington, I. 1995. Clemacotyle australis (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) from the white-spotted eagle ray Aetobatus narinari (Rajiformes: Myliobatididae) on the Great Barrier Reef: Redescription, emended generic diagnosis, and oncomiracidium. Journal of Parasitology 81: 616-625

Hayward, C. 2005. Monogenea Polyopisthocotylea (ectoparastic flukes). pp. 55-63 in Rohde, K. (ed.). Marine Parasitology. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 592 pp.

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