Family Pronocephalidae Looss, 1899

Abstract

[Extract] Pronocephalids are monostome digencans occurring primarily in the intestines of marine and aquatic reptiles. A few species occur in marine fishes. For comments on the limits of the family, see Barton & Blair, Chapter 32, this volume. The name Pronocephalus was coined by Looss (1899) in recognition of the distinctive head-collar (Greek prono - an elevation) characteristic of his subfamily Pronocephalinae Looss, 1899. Looss (1902a) raised the subfamily to family status and recognized a total of eight genera. Yamaguti (1971) recognized 27 genera in ten subfamilies and Groschaft & Tenora (1981) recognized 19 genera in four subfamilies (but had raised some of Yamaguti's subfamilies to family rank, thus excluding them from this count). Perez Ponce de Leon & Brooks (1995a) included 20 genera in three subfamilies. Twenty-two genera are included in the key below.