{{short description|Species of worms}} {{Speciesbox | image = | image_caption = | genus = Microcotyle | species = neozealanica | authority = Dillon & Hargis, 1965 | synonyms = *''Microcotyle neozealanicus'' <small>Dillon & Hargis, 1965</small><ref name="DillonHargis1965"/> *''Paramicrocotyle neozealanicus'' <small>(Dillon & Hargis, 1965) Caballero & Bravo-Hollis, 1972</small><ref name="Caballero1972"/> }}
'''''Microcotyle neozealanica''''' is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.<ref name="DillonHargis1965">Dillon, W. A., & Hargis, W. J. (1965). Monogenetic trematodes from the southern Pacific Ocean. 2. Polyopisthocotyleids from New Zealand fishes: the families Discocotylidae, Microcotylidae, Axinidae and Gastrocotylidae. Antarctic Research Series, 5, 251–280.</ref>
==Taxonomy== ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' was first described by Dillon & Hargis in 1965 as ''Microcotyle neozealanicus''.<ref name="DillonHargis1965"/> Caballero y Caballero and Bravo-Hollis erected the genus ''Paramicrocotyle'' to describe ''Paramicrocotyle tampicensis'' and ''Paramicrocotyle atriobursata'' off Mexico, and placed within this genus 16 species previously assigned to the genus ''Microcotyle''<ref name="Mendoza-FrancoRosado Tun2018">{{cite journal|last1=Mendoza-Franco|first1=Edgar F.|last2=Rosado Tun|first2=Mariela del Carmen|last3=Duarte Anchevida|first3=Allan de Jesús|last4=del Rio Rodríguez|first4=Rodolfo E.|title=Morphological and molecular (28S rRNA) data of monogeneans (Platyhelminthes) infecting the gill lamellae of marine fishes in the Campeche Bank, southwest Gulf of Mexico|journal=ZooKeys|issue=783|year=2018|pages=125–161|issn=1313-2970|doi=10.3897/zookeys.783.26218|pmid=30275730|pmc=6160863|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018ZooK..783..125M }}</ref> including ''Microcotyle neozealanica''.<ref name="Caballero1972">Caballero y Caballero, E., & Bravo-Hollis, M. (1972). Monogenea (van Beneden, 1858) Carus, 1863 de peces marinos del litoral Mexicano del Golfo de Mexico y del Mar Caribe.V. Revista de Biología Tropical, 20, 151–165. [https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/download/27339/27448/.pdf] {{open access}}</ref> However, ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' was returned to the genus ''Microcotyle'' and ''Paramicrocotyle'' is considered a junior subjective synonym of ''Microcotyle''.<ref name="Mamaev1986">Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199–206. [https://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/1986/03/02.pdf] {{open access}}</ref> ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' was redescribed by Dillon et ''al''., in 1985 from a single specimen from the gills of ''Chloropthalmus nigripinnis''. The authors stated that additional specimens from this host were needed to verify this record.<ref name="Dillon&HargisJr&Harrises1985">Dillon, W. A., Hargis Jr, W. J., & Harrises, A. E. (1985). Monogeneans from the southern Pacific Ocean: Polyopisthocotyleids from the Australian fishes, the subfamily Microcotylinae.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.fr/&httpsredir=1&article=1026&context=reports.pdf {{open access}}</ref> According to the World Register of Marine Species ''neozealanicus'' is a malformed suffix. The current accepted name is ''Microcotyle neozealanica''.<ref>WoRMS (2018). ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' Dillon & Hargis, 1965. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1264851 on 2019-01-02</ref>
==Morphology== [[File:Helicolenus percoides (Red gurnard perch).jpg|thumb|left|The red gurnard perch ''Helicolenus percoides'' is the type-host of ''Microcotyle neozealanica'']] [[File:Paraulopus nigripinnis1.jpg|thumb|left|The Cucumber fish ''Paraulopus nigripinnis'' is also recorded as host of ''Microcotyle neozealanica'']] ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' has the general morphology of all species of ''Microcotyle'', with an elongate fusiform body provided with a thin and smooth tegument, and comprising an anterior body proper which contains most organs and a posterior part called the haptor. The haptor is symmetrical, not well delineated from body proper, and bears 24–29 pairs of clamps. These clamps are similar in shape, but dissimilar in size. The clamps of the haptor attach the animal to the gill of the fish. There are also two biloculate buccal suckers placed ventrolaterally in the buccal cavity. The digestive organs include an anterior, terminal mouth, a muscular pharynx, and a posterior intestine with two lateral branches provided with medial and lateral ramifications. Each adult contains male and female reproductive organs. The reproductive organs include an anterior genital atrium armed with numerous spines, a dorsal vagina, a single tubular and folded ovary, and a number of follicular testes which are postovarian, and 11–20 in number. The fusiform egg has filaments at both ends.<ref name="DillonHargis1965"/>
==Etymology== The specific epithet ''neozealanica'' refers to New Zealand, the type-locality of this species.<ref name="DillonHargis1965"/>
==Hosts and localities== The type-host of ''Microcotyle neozealanica'' is the red gurnard perch ''Helicolenus percoides'' (Sebastidae). The type-locality is New Zealand.<ref name="DillonHargis1965"/> It was also recorded from ''Chlorophthalmus nigripinnis'' (currently named ''Paraulopus nigripinnis''<ref>Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2018). FishBase. ''Chlorophthalmus nigripinnis'' Günther, 1878. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=299930 on 2019-01-03</ref>) (Chlorophthalmidae) off Australia.<ref name="Dillon&HargisJr&Harrises1985"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q61592010|from2=Q4446045}}
Category:Microcotyle Category:Parasites of fish Category:Animals described in 1965 Category:Worms of New Zealand