A new species of Neoergasilus Yin 1956 (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Ergasilidae) parasitic on the catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Siluriformes: Clariidae) from South Africa.

Twenty-one specimens of an ergasilid were collected from the gills of the sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), from the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The first leg and antennae morphology conformed to the genus Neoergasilus Yin, 1956. While the invasive Neoergasilus japonicus (Harada, 1930) is the only Neoergasilus species that has been reported from Africa, the combination of several characteristics, separates the Eastern Cape specimens from N.

Description of life stages, molecular characterisation as well as a new host and locality record of Van As and Van As (1996) from Phongolo River, South Africa.

Van As and Van As, 1996 was original described from the Eastern Caprivi (Namibia) and the Okavango System (Botswana), collected from five Cuvier, 1816 (Mochokidae) species. This fish genus is endemic to Africa, with 130 valid species, making it one of the most species-rich and widely distributed mochokid catfish family. During parasitological surveys conducted in the Phongolo River (South Africa), a Thiele, 1900 species was collected from Peters, 1852 In total, 21 adult females, four adult males, as well as representatives of the larval developmental stages were found.

Rediscovery of Chonopeltis meridionalis Fryer, 1964 (Crustacea: Branchiura) from Labeo rosae Steindachner in the River Olifants, Mpumalanga, and the taxonomic status of C. victori Avenant-Oldewage, 1991 and C. koki Van As, 1992.

Chonopeltis Thiele, 1900 presently comprises 14 species, it is endemic to Africa and its species show a high degree of host-specificity towards fish families and in some cases, individual fish species. Chonopeltis meridionalis Fryer, 1964 was originally described from Labeo rosae Steindachner collected in the River Nuanetsi in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, Limpopo River System. At the time of description C.

Larvae of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in the threatened freshwater fish Sandelia capensis (Anabantidae) in South Africa.

Third-stage larvae of the nematode genus Contracaecum Railliet et Henry, 1912 (Contracaecum sp.) were, for the first time, recorded from the abdominal cavity of the threatened endemic freshwater fish Sandelia capensis (Cuvier) in South Africa. The larval morphology indicated that they belong to a species of which the adults are parasitic in fish-eating birds.

Studies on ascaridid, oxyurid and enoplid nematodes (Nematoda) from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana.

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, eight species (five adult and three larval) of nematodes belonging to the Ascaridida, Oxyurida and Enoplida were collected from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, namely Falcaustra similis Moravec et Van As, 2004, Atractidae gen. sp. (only female) (both Cosmocercoidea), Cucullanus sp.

Studies on some spirurids (Nematoda: Spirurida) from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana.

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, three adult spirurid nematode species, Camallanus (Zeylanema) ctenopomae Vassiliadès & Petter, 1972, Paracamallanus cyathopharynx (Baylis, 1923) (both Camallanidae) and Spinitectus polli Campana-Rouget, 1961 (Cystidicolidae), are redescribed from specimens collected in fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana: C. (Z.) ctenopomae from Ctenopoma sp.

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including P. (S.) serranochromis n. sp. parasitic in Serranochromis spp. (Cichlidae).

Three species of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) Baylis, 1923 (Camallanidae) (Nematoda: Camallanidae) were found in the digestive tract of freshwater fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, i.e. P.

Procamallanus (Procamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) in fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including the description of P. (P.) pseudolaeviconchus n. sp. parasitic in Clarias spp. (Clariidae) from Botswana and Egypt.

Parasitological dissections of fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, revealed the presence of nematodes of the subgenus Procamallanus (Procamallanus) Baylis, 1923 in five fish species belonging to three different families. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations, they proved to represent one previously known and one new species, i.e.

Lamproglena hepseti n. sp. (Copepoda: Lernaeidae), a gill parasite of the African pike Hepsetus odoe (Bloch) from the Okavango River and Delta, Botswana.

During surveys of the biodiversity of fish parasites in the Okavango River and Delta, Botswana, specimens of Lamproglena von Nordmann, 1832 were found associated with the African pike Hepsetus odoe (Bloch). This Lamproglena species distinctly differs from all known species based on morphological features, in particular the cephalothorax and the maxilliped; it is described as L. hepseti n.

Redescription of Argulus multipocula Barnard, 1955 (Crustacea: Branchiura) collected on the west coast of South Africa.

Argulus multipocula Barnard, 1955 was originally described from a single female found in a littoral sample from the east coast of South Africa. We present a redescription of this species based on light and scanning electron microscope studies of 25 females collected from the southern mullet Liza richardsonii (Smith) on the west coast of South Africa.

Myxozoans infecting the sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus in the Okavango River and Delta, Botswana, including descriptions of two new species, Henneguya samochimensis sp. n. and Myxobolus gariepinus sp. n.

During a recent investigation of parasites infecting fishes from the Okavango River and Delta, Botswana (southern Africa) fourteen sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Siluriformes: Clariidae) were examined for the presence of myxozoan infections. Results revealed the presence of two species of the genus Henneguya Thélohan, 1895 and one species of the genus Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 infecting this fish host. Two of the sampled fish exhibited large plasmodia of Henneguya suprabranchiae Landsberg, 1987 in the cartilage of the accessory breathing organ, another two individuals were infected with H.

Myxobolus species (Myxozoa), parasites of fishes in the Okavango River and Delta, Botswana, including descriptions of two new species.

Fieldwork was conducted in 1998 and 1999 in the Okavango River and Delta and a total of 275 fishes representing 31 species were examined for the presence of myxosporean parasites. A total of seven myxosporeans of the genus Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 were found infecting the fishes. Two new species namely Myxobolus etsatsaensis sp.