Tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidea) of teleost fishes from the Amazon River in Peru: additional records as an evidence of unexplored species diversity

This paper represents an update of the previous list of adult proteocephalidean tapeworms (Cestoda) parasitizing freshwater teleosts from the Peruvian Amazon, which was presented by de Chambrier et al. (2006a). Four new samplings made it possible to almost double the number of species found, all of them representing new geographical records from Peru. With 34 newly added species, a total of 63 proteocephalidean cestodes (46 named species of 27 genera) are now reported from Amazonia in Peru (compared to 54 named species of 28 genera from its Brazilian part). The genera previously unreported by de Chambrier et al. (2006a) are Ageneiella, Brayela, Endorchis, Ephedrocephalus, Gibsoniela, Harriscolex, Jauella, Lenhataenia, Manaosia, and Megathylacus. Four species, namely Jauella glandicephalus, Monticellia belavistensis, M. santafesina, and Proteocephalus hobergi, are reported from the Amazon River basin for the fi rst time. Harriscolex piramutab (Woodland, 1934) n. comb. is proposed for specimens previously identifi ed as Proteocephalus piramutab Woodland, 1934 from Brachyplatystoma vaillantii. The highest number of proteocephalidean cestodes is reported from Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum (a total of 10 cestode species), Zungaro zungaro (previously named Paulicea luetkeni; 9 species) and Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (6 species). A high number of unnamed species found in Peru (17), which most probably represent taxa new to science including at least two new genera, demonstrates that the species richness of proteocephalidean cestodes in Amazonia is still poorly known.