Description of neolacunisoma geraldschmidti gen. n., sp. n., (Acanthocephala: Centrorhynchidae) from South African shorebirds

Neolacunisoma geraldschmidti gen. n., sp. n (Centrorhynchidae), is described from 7 species of shorebirds (Caradriiformes) in South Africa. Worms are spindle-shaped: proboscis globular anteriorly where it has 39-43 longitudinal rows of 9-11 rooted hooks per row and cylindrical posteriorly where it has 2-5 rootless spines per row; males with 2 preequatorial contiguous longer than wide testes and 3 tubular cement glands; females with subterminal gonopore and elongate ovoid sculptured eggs. The new genus is intermediate between the only 2 other genera of the family Centrorhynchidae, Sphaerirostris Golvan, 1956, and Centrorhynchus Luhe, 1911. It is similar to the former genus in proboscis and trunk shape and size and to the latter in testes shape. Its lacunar system is intermediate between those of the 2 other genera combining the transverse pattern characteristic of Centrorhynchus and the dendritic pattern of Sphaerirostris. The lacunar system pattern is one of the most important taxonomic characters in the classification of acanthocephalans. Neolacunisoma also has unique anteriorly prominent longitudinal riblike trunk muscles.