REDESCRIPTION OF DICYEMENNEA NOUVELI (PHYLUM: DICYEMIDA) FROM ENTEROCTOPUS DOFLEINI (MOLLUSCA: CEPHALOPODA: OCTOPODA)

A species of dicyemid mesozoan is redescribed from the giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini (Wulker, 19 10), collected off Iwase in Toyama Bay, Honshu, Japan. Dicyemennea nouveli McConnaughey, 1959, is a large species that reaches about 12,000 mu m in length. This species lives in folds of the renal appendages. The vermiform stages are characterized as having 30-41 peripheral cells, a conical calotte, and an axial cell that extends to the middle of the metapolar cells. An anterior abortive axial cell is present in vermiform embryos. Full-grown vermiform embryos have as many as 4 agametes. Infusoriform embryos consist of 39 cells; 2 nuclei are present in each urn cell and the refiringent bodies are solid.