Abstract
THIS memoir extends to 275 pages, and is illustrated by twenty-seven plates. The species on which these studies were made, were for the most part collected by the author himself, from various parts of the Japanese coast, between the years 1889 and 1892. For the present he omits the Gyrodactylidæ, as his investigations of the anatomy of this group are not yet completed. After a brief introduction, in which the method of preparation is described, the details of the anatomy of the several systems, as met with among the species of the ten genera found in Japan, are given; this is followed by some notes on the habitat, powers of locomotion, food and colouration of the several forms, and then we have the systematic portion. By far the greater number of the species were found attached to the gills of fishes, but several live in their oral cavity, and some even on the outer surface of their bodies. In one remarkable instance, that of Tristomum biparasiticum, the worm was found always attached to the carapace of a copepod, itself parasitic on the gills of Thvnnus albacora. The “looping” movements observed by Haswell have been often witnessed by Goto, sometimes they are performed so rapidly in succession as almost to escape observation; lateral movements in some instances were noticed. Whilst the greater number feed 04 the mucous slime of their hosts, some were undoubtedly blood-suckers. In the systematic description, attention is drawn to the important specific characters to be found in the “hooks” which are often present, near the posterior end of the body. Thirty species belonging to the following ten genera are fully described: Microcotyle, Axine, Octocotyle, Diclidophora, Hexacotyle, Onchocotyle, Calicotyle, Monocotyle, Epibdella, and Tristomum. While none of the genera are new, some of them have emended diagnoses, and the information about the various species included in each is brought wonderfully up to date. Of the thirty species, all are described as new; one, Diclidophora smaris, was found in the mouth cavity of Smaris vulgaris, taken in the Bay of Naples; all the rest are from Japan. Owing to the often very imperfect descriptions given by previous describers of species, it is possible that some of those described by Goto may on further investigation rank as synonyms, but most of them are strikingly distinctive forms. Octocotyle, Diesing, and Diclidophora, Diesing, have been combined by many in the genus Octobothrium, F. S. Leuckart; but the author gives good reasons why Diesing's genera should be retained, characterising the former genus anew. The author's drawings have been beautifully lithographed; the plates have been all executed at Japan, and will bear comparison with any similar work done in Europe. A very complete bibliography of the literature cited is appended. We venture to suggest, that it is a duty of all biologists to send copies of their published writings to the Library of the Imperial University of Japan, where they will be used and appreciated.
Studies on the Ectoparasitic Trematodes of Japan.
By Seitaro Goto, Rigakushi. (Published by the Imperial University, Tōkyō Japan, 1894.)
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Studies on the Ectoparasitic Trematodes of Japan. Nature 51, 244 (1895). https://doi.org/10.1038/051244a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/051244a0