Cardicola polynemi sp. n. (TREMATODA: APOROCOTYLIDAE) FROM GILLS OF MARINE THREADFIN FISH, Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804) IN THE VISAKHAPATNAM COAST, BAY OF BENGAL, INDIA

A new species of Cardicola Short, 1953 (n= 27) was obtained from the gills of 16 infected marine threadfin fish, Eleutheronema tetradactylum Shaw, 1804 of Visakhapatnam coast, India between July 2005 and June 2007. The new species, Cardicola polynemi is characterized by possessing the body which is eight times longer than wide with a vestigial oral sucker, alveolar testis, multilobular ovary, straight posterior caeca, median opening of female genital pore, and extension of body spines to anterior and posterior extremities of the body.