First report of Saccularina magnacetabula Louvard et al., 2022 (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Didymozoidae) in the Gulf of Mexico based on morphological and molecular approaches

This study represents the first record of the parasitic trematode Saccularina magnacetabula Louvard et al., 2022 in the Atlantic basin. Using morphological and molecular data, we identified specimens isolated from Elops saurus Linnaeus, 1766 in Tampa Bay, Florida as S. magnacetabula , a species described from Australian waters. Although previous studies report putative undescribed species of Saccularina along the Atlantic coast of North America, we present the first record of S. magnacetabula , expanding the species’ known range and host associations. We advise broader surveys exploring the distribution of this trematode.