A NEW PARASITIC COPEPOD, PHILOBLENNA ARABICI GEN. ET SP. NOV., FROM A JAPANESE GASTROPOD, WITH PROPOSAL OF A NEW FAMILY PHILOBLENNIDAE (CYCLOPOIDA : POECILOSTOMA)

Abstract

The studies on parasitic copepods at the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory in 1971-72 produced some new representatives of poecilostomous cyclopoids from Japanese prosobranch gastropods. Following the preceding paper dealing with two species of the family Myicolidae, the present paper is to describe a remarkable new form obtained from an arabic cowry, Peribolus (Arabica) arabica (L.), under the name of Philoblenna arabici gen. et sp. nov. This new species was found attached by only the antero-ventral side of its head to the mantle surface just near the ctenidium of the host; this area was rich with mucous glands and furrows and was swollen to form knobs by parasitism of copepods. A new family Philoblennidae is proposed on this new form, and its affinity is discussed generally.