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Family GOTOCOTYLIDAE Yamaguti, 1963

Introduction

Yamaguti (1963) provided the original diagnosis of the Gotocotylidae, but at that time assigned it to the rank of a suffamily within the Gastrocotylidae. Lebedev (1984) later amended the diagnosis and elevated the taxon to the staus of family (Hayward & Rohde 1999).

The Gotocotylidae are characterised as follows: Body elongate. Terminal haptoral lobe bears single pair of hamuli; additional pair of larval hamuli may persist in anterior part of haptor. Haptor symmetrical with numerous clamps (<430). Clamps form in anterior part of haptor in two rows and decrease in size gradually toward posterior end; clamps may crowd into more than two rows in some species (or in contracted specimens). Clamps symmetrical or more or less asymmetrical, of gastrocotylinean type with two beak-like basal sclerites, four additional medial sclerites, and one or two rows of internal ribs in form of bars or discs; with or without rows of oblique tegumental sclerotisations. Buccal organs elliptical, septate. Intestinal caeca with numerous lateral, medial diverticula, except in posteriormost section; not united posteriorly. Uterus midventral, leading anteriorly to unarmed genital atrium. Eggs large, fusiform; filaments elongate. Vagina(e) dorsal, strongly muscular, single or paired (exceptionally absent); usually accompanied by marked lateral constriction of body. Testes postovarian, numerous. Sperm duct ascends dorsal to uterus. Male copulatory organ eversible, elongate, heavily armed with arrangement of pectinate and/or simple recurved spines; posteriormost spines straight with arrow-shaped posterior tip. Gill parasites of marine perciform teleosts (Scombridae, Bramidae, Pomatomidae, Carangidae and Sparidae); also recorded as newly hatched larvae on gills of fishes of perhaps eight teleost orders (Clupeiformes, Scopeliformes, Anguilliformes, Beloniformes, Syngnathiformes, Perciformes, Pleuronectiformes and Tetrodontiformes).

One of the two genera in this family is represented in Australia.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
12-Feb-2010 (import)