A new parasite species for science has been described from Munda round ray (Urotrygon munda) from the Pacific coast of the Costa Rica, making it the first known parasite from this rare ray. The new species, Anaporrhutum mundae (Trematoda) has been discovered by a team of Italian (Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn) and Costa Rican scientists (Universidad de Costa Rica and Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura) led by Dr. Mario Santoro and Dr. Alberto Solano-Barquero. The study has been published in the Journal of Helminthology (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X2400018X) in the frame of an ambitious international project that aims to document marine fish parasite diversity in the Costa Rican waters. Costa Rica has impressive levels of marine biodiversity, including numerous endemic taxa. Dr. Mario Santoro ensures that ongoing research and exploration in this country's marine ecosystems will uncover many more ever seen “surprises” within the local fish fauna.
