Enteromius paludinosus (Peters, 1852): host for new species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) in South Africa

Viviparous monogeneans of the genus Gyrodactylus are tiny parasites mostly parasitising bony fish. Nearly 500 Gyrodactylus species have been described worldwide, of which only 36 is known from the African continent. Parasitological survey of E. paludinosus at the Barberspan Ramsar site in South Africa in October 2015, recorded the presence of a new Gyrodactylus species. Sixty percent of the hosts were infected on the fins with up to three of these specimens. This new species of Gyrodactylus constitutes the first description of this parasite from E. paludinosus and, the 37th species described from the African continent. The morphologically new species represents a typical gyrodactylid specimen with noted similarities in the shape of haptoral sclerites. This specimen closely resembles to Gyrodactylus kyogae (Paperna, 1973) from Enteromius neumayeri (Fischer, 1884). Dissimilarities from G. kyogae are however evident in the overall larger size of the hamuli, ventral bar and marginal hooks. The elongate root of the hamuli and presence of a prominent membrane on the ventral bar also justify this as a new species. Furthermore, larger marginal hooks and definite disparity in the shape of the sickle is evident.