Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2007, 268–272. DOI: 10.2478/s11686-007-0036-x Michelle D. Santos (1)*, Vernon E. Thatcher (2) and Marilia C. Brasil-Sato (3) –
Brasergasilus bifurcatus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Ergasilidae, Abergasilinae) from the gills and nasal fossae of serrasalmid
fishes from the Três Marias Reservoir, Upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
(1) Curso de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Km 7 da BR 465, CP 74539,
Seropédica, RJ, 23851-970;
(2) Depto. de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19020, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980;
(3) Depto. de Biologia Animal, UFRRJ, CP 74539, Seropédica, RJ, 23851-970; Brazil
*Corresponding author: michelledaniele@yahoo.com.br
ABSTRACT
Brasergasilus bifurcatus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Ergasilidae, Abergasilinae) is described. Specimens of the new species were collected
from the gills and nasal fossae of the serrasalmid fishes, known as "piranhas", Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819) and
"pirambebas", Serrasalmus brandtii (Lütken, 1875). The fishes were netted in the Três Marias Reservoir (18°12΄59˝S,
45°17΄34˝W) of the upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The new species differs from its congeners by the
following characters: the specific setation on the antennule; the terminal barb of the antenna; the deeply bifurcate distal segment
of the mandible; the chalice-shaped genital complex; a conspicuous external indentation of the second segment of the first endopod
and a very short terminal segment of the first exopod.
KEY WORDS:
Copepoda, Ergasilidae, Brasergasilus bifurcatus sp. nov., fish, Pygocentrus piraya, Serrasalmus brandti, Três Marias Reservoir,
São Francisco River, Brazil