AUTHOR=Kolbasov Gregory A. , Savchenko Alexandra S. , Newman William A. , Chan Benny K. K. 

TITLE=A New Species of Waginella (Crustacea: Thecostraca: Ascothoracida) Parasitic on a Stalked Crinoid From Tasman Sea, With Notes on Morphology of Related Genera

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.616001

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.616001

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>A new ectoparasitic ascothoracidan species has been discovered off northern Tasman Sea at a depth of 520 m. Single female, described herein as <italic>Waginella ebonita</italic> Kolbasov and Newman sp. nov. in the family Synagogidae <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B4">Gruvel, 1905</xref>, was collected on the column of crinoid <italic>Metacrinus</italic> sp. This is the first study of a new form of <italic>Waginella</italic> to be based on the extensive use of both light and scanning electron microscopy to document the fine-scale external morphology. We studied the external morphology of other two species of <italic>Waginella</italic>, <italic>W</italic>. cf. <italic>axotremata</italic> and <italic>W. sandersi</italic> utilizing SEM and compared fine structures of all congeners. The genus <italic>Waginella</italic> represents a monophyletic taxon including at least 4 species having similar and unique morphology even on the ultrastructural level. Two species, <italic>W</italic>. cf. <italic>axotremata</italic> and <italic>W</italic>. cf. <italic>metacrinicola</italic> may represent at least two complexes of species. The morphology of an attachment apparatus in all species of <italic>Waginella</italic> suggests that they remain attached to the host for a considerable period of time. The lattice organs of <italic>Waginella</italic> have a unique structure distinguishing from all Thecostraca. <italic>Waginella ebonita</italic> sp. nov. is the second species of this genus known to harbor hyperparasitic cryptoniscid isopods representing parasitic castrators.</p>