Acanthocephala from Arabian Gulf fishes off Kuwait, with descriptions of Neoechinorhynchus dimorphospinus sp. n. (Neoechinorhynchidae), Tegorhynchus holospinosus sp. n. (Illiosentidae), Micracanthorhynchina kuwaitensis sp. n. (Rhadinorhynchidae), and Slen

Five species of acanthocephalans were collected from 14 species of Arabian Gulf fishes off the coast of Kuwait between 1993 and 1995. They are the following. (1) Neoechinorhynchus dimorphospinus sp. n. (Neoechinorhynchidae) from Allanetta forskali (Ruppell, 1828), Dorosoma nasus (Bloch, 1795), and Liza macrolepis (Smith, 1849). It is distinguished from the only other species of Neoechinorhynchus Stiles and Hassall, 1905, from fish with unequal proboscis hooks in the anterior circle, Neoechinorhynchus doryphorus Van Cleave and Bangham, 1949, by having smaller terminal proboscis hooks and eggs. (2) Tegorhynchus holospinus sp. n. (Illiosentidae) from Leiognathus fasciatus (Lacépède, 1798), Leiognathus bindus (Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835), and Pseudorhombus arsius (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1827). It is the only species of the genus with cuticular spines covering almost the whole trunk. (3) Micracanthorhynchina kuwaitensis sp. n. (Rhadinorhynchidae) from Hemiramphus marginatus Forskal, 1775. It has the largest number of proboscis hooks per row (13-15) compared to all other species of the genus. A key separating the latter species from the other 6 valid species of the genus is included. (4) Slendrorhynchus breviclaviproboscis gen. n., sp. n. (Diplosentidae, Allorhadinorhynchinae), from Lagocephalus lunaris (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) and Leiognathus bindus (Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1835). It has trunk spines that cover almost the entire body and 4 cement glands. The other 2 monotypic genera of the subfamily, Allorhadinorhunchus Yamaguti, 1959, with 2 cement glands and Golavanorhynchus Noronha, Fabio, and Pinto, 1978, with 6 cement glands, have spines in the anterior part of the trunk only. The diagnosis of the subfamily Allorhadinorhynchinae is emended. (5) Juveniles of Serrasentis sagittifer (Rhadinorhynchidae) were recovered from the body cavity of 6 fish species; all are new host records.