The heteronchoinean monogenea from the gills of some fishes from Puerto Rico

The heteronchoinean fauna of Puerto Rico have not been well studied. The heteronchoineans are monogeneans with oral suckers, genitointestinal canal and opisthaptor armed with clamps or suckers and some have a lappet with anchors and hooks. They parasitize fish gills and are very host specific. Their three most characteristics features, oral suckers, genitalia and opisthaptor are used to identify them. The purpose of this project is to know the heteronchoinean fauna from Puerto Rico, to found new species, establish new locality and host records and to know the relation of the heteronchoineans with their host. 30 species of heteronchoineans were found from 33 species of fishes of twelve families. Was established one new locality record for the Atlantic Ocean, eight for the Caribbean Sea and 13 for Puerto Rico. Were found one new genus and species of the family Chauhaneidae from Sphyraena picudilla and one of the family Heteraxinidae from Oligoplites saurus, and two new species, one of the genus Microcotyle from Chromis multilineatus and one of the genus Erpocotyle from Hexanchus vietulus.