TWO NEW SPECIES OF METABENEDENIELLA (MONOGENOIDEA: CAPSALIDAE: BENEDENIINAE) PARASITIZING MARINE SNAPPERS (TELEOSTEI: LUTJANIDAE) IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN, WITH NOTES ON THE NOMENCLATURE OF METABENEDENIELLA AND METABENEDENIELLA HOPLOGNATHI.

Abstract

Two new species of Capsalidae (Benedeniinae) are described from snappers (Lutjanidae) occurring in the western Pacific Ocean: Metabenedeniella bracteola n. sp. from the blubberlip snapper, Lutjanus rivulatus, collected off Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, and Metabenedeniella duplohelix n. sp. from the mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, from off Nouméa, New Caledonia. Clarification of the nomenclature of Metabenedeniella and its type species is provided: Metabenedeniella Yamaguti, 1958. represents the valid name of the genus and Metabenedeniella hoplognathi Yamaguti, 1958, its type species. The type species is a junior subjective synonym of Epibdella (Benedenia) hoplognathi Yamaguti, 1942 [now Metabenedeniella hoplognathi (Yamaguti, 1942) Yamaguti, 1963, the valid taxonomic name of the species].