Proposal of Cynoscionella n. g. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae), with description of a new species from the gills of Cynoscion phoxocephalus (Actinopterygii: Sciaenidae) in Peru and reassignment of two species of Diplectanum Monticelli, 1903.

Cynoscionella n. g. is proposed for Cynoscionella sanmarci n. sp. and two previously described species of Diplectanum Diesing, 1858 were reassigned into the new genus. The three species are gill parasites of sciaenid fishes (Perciformes: Sciaenidae). The new genus is closely related with Diplectanum (sensu stricto), but is mainly distinguished by its male copulatory organ (MCO) having a slightly sclerotized sleeve-shaped base, lacking accessory piece and accessory copulatory organ. In addition, Cynoscionella n. g. differs from Diplectanum species by having the ventral anchors with well-developed roots, and a prostatic reservoir simple. Cynoscionella sanmarci n. sp. is a parasite of the cachema weakfish Cynoscion phoxocephalus Jordan & Gilbert, a demersal teleost collected from off the coastal zone of Puerto Pizarro, Tumbes region, northern Peru. Diplectanum bilobatum Hargis, 1955 from the spotted weakfish Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier) and D. monticellii Domingues & Boeger, 2003 from the smooth weakfish Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier), are transferred to Cynoscionella n. g. as Cy. bilobatum (Hargis, 1955) n. comb. and Cy. monticelli (Domingues & Boeger, 2003) n. comb. The present finding represents the first data on the monogenean parasites of C. phoxocephalus. This is the thirteenth marine diplectanid species recorded from Peru.