Reference: Dial. Bull., 136: 96-113. ( February, 1969) THE MORPHOLOGY AND LIFE-HISTORY OF NEOPECHONA PYRIFORME (LINTON, 1900) N. GEN., N. COMB. (TREMATODA: LEPOCREADIIDAE) x HORACE W. STUNKARD The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., Nezv York Linton (1900) described Distomum pyrifonne n. sp., from the pyloric ceca and intestine of the rudderfish, PaUnurichthys perciformis, taken at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on four occasions in August, 1898. The description states, p. 292, "Body very slightly compressed, of various shapes, but usually elliptical or pyriform in outline, armed with low, flat, rounded, scale-like spines. Neck in some slightly extended; in others the oral sucker was retracted (Fig. 56)." The latter feature appears to be characteristic since Linton noted, p. 293, "A large portion of the pre-served specimens have the anterior end of the body inverted." His Figure 57 was made from a longitudinal, frontal section showing the inverted anterior end of a worm with a tubular canal from the retracted oral sucker to the surface of the body. The species was illustrated with Figures 52-59. The type material consists of more than 100 specimens, mounted on eight slides, deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the U. S. National Museum under the number 6516. All of the worms are juvenile, with immature gonads and diffuse pigment, from disintegrating ocelli, in the lateral pharyngeal areas. The measurements of specimens were made on young, half-grown individuals and have little value. The account, however, contains much significant information, especially the report on living specimens, some of which were mature, since there are observations on the spinose cirrus, the relatively large seminal vesicle and prostate, voluminous vitellaria. and the size of eggs. Figures 55 and 56 are particularly interesting ; they demonstrate the con-fused and inadequate status of the specific description. In Figure 55, the ceca ter-minate at the anterior border of the excretory vesicle, midway between the acetabu-lum and the posterior end of the body, while the excretory vesicle is represented as saccate, extending forward only to the caudal ends of the ceca. It is probable that the caudal portions of the ceca and the anterior extension of the excretory vesicle were not observed since in Figure 56, the same structures are represented very differently ; the ceca extend to the posterior end of the body while the excre-tory vesicle extends forward to the level of the acetabulum and contains a row of concretions. The text, p. 292 states, "Intestinal branches conspicuous, straight, reaching the posterior end of the body." On p. 293 there is the statement, "Spheri-cal bodies with a concentric structure were seen lying in the excretory vesicle. These masses were not of uniform size ; the largest measured 0.010 mm in diameter. They appear to be solid excreta. They are much smaller than the ova and more-over are spherical." The description and figures, although confused and incomplete, are definite enough to identify the species and validate the specific name. 1 Investigation supported by Grant NSF GB 5606, continuation of G 23561. 96
BioStor
