Dr. Murai Éva - Gubányi András szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 28. (Budapest, 1995)

© Hungarian Natural History Museum Hungarian Society of Parasitologists Parasit, hung., 28: J3-20, 1995 Description of Bianium arabicum sp. n. (Trematoda, Lepocreadiidae) from the pufferfish, Lagocephalus lunaris (Bloch et Schneider, 1801) in Kuwait and a review of the genus Bianium Stunkard, 1930 ottó SEY Department of Zoology, University of Kuwait, P. O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait (Received 15 September, 1995) Abstract. A new species, Bianium arabicum (Lepocreadiidae, Diploproctodaeinae) is described from the pufferfish, Lagocephalus lunaris off the coast of Kuwait. It differs from the other members of the genus in having lateral folds along the whole body length and in the structure of the terminal part of the male reproductive organ. Keys to the subgenera, species and the amended description of the genus Bianium are also added. The new species represents a new host and locality records in the Arabian Gulf. Key words: Bianium arabicum, Lepocreadiidae, Trematoda, Lagocephalus lunaris, Kuwait Bay INTRODUCTION During a survey of helminth parasites of Kuwaiti coastal fishes carried out in the period between October 1992 and December 1994, a collection of metazoan parasites was obtained. In the pufferfish numerous specimens of lepocreadid trematodes were found which proved to be a new species of the genus Bianium. The new species represents the first record of the genus from the Gulf fishes (Al-Yamani and Nahhas 1981, Saoud et al. 1986, Abdul-Salam and Khalil 1987, Abdul-Salam et al 1990, El-Naffar et al. 1992, Abdul-Salam and Sreelatha 1993). MATERIALS AND METHODS Nineteen fresh specimens of pufferfish, Lagocephalus lunaris were obtained from anglers near the "Towers" coastal waters. Live worms were washed in saline and later fixed in AFA, stored in 70% ethanol and stained in alum carmine. Specimens for SEM examination were dried, using the critcal point technique and coated with gold-palladium. They were observed and photographed using a JEOL, JSM-6300 SEM. Drawing was made with the help of a Leitz drawing tube. All measurements are in micrometer unless otherwise stated.