A NEW SPECIES OF PEDIBOTHRIUM (CESTOIDEA, TETRAPHYLLIDEA) FROM THE SHORT-TAIL NURSE SHARK, PSEUDOGINGLYMOSTOMA-BREVICAUDATUM (ELASMOBRANCHII, ORECTILOBIFORMES), FROM SOUTHWEST MADAGASCAR

Examination of the contents of the spiral intestine of a preserved spe cimen of the short-tail nurse shark, Pseudoginglymostoma brevicadatum, collected in the Mozambique Channel off Toliara, Madagascar, led to t he discovery of Pedibothrium toliarensis sp. n. Among the 9 described species of Pedibothrium, the new species most closely resembles Pedibo thrium longispine in its possession of bipronged hooks with axial and abaxial prongs that are conspicuously recurved. It is readily distingu ished from the latter species in its possession of a greater number of testes, a larger scolex, and 2 (rather than 1) columns of testes in t he postporal region of the segment. Species of Pedibothrium are now kn own from 3 of the 5 species of sharks belonging to the orectilobiform family Rhincodontidae. This record expands the known geographic range of the host species and parasite genus to include the southwestern coa st of Madagascar. Several strobilar fragments consistent with the segm ent morphology of Pedibothrium, but differing from P. toliarensis in g enital pore position and testes number, suggest that P. brevicaudatum may host additional species of Pedibothrium.