Two new species of Anthobothrium van Beneden, 1850 (tetraphyllidea: phyllobothriidae) from carcharhinid sharks, with a redescription of Anthobothrium laciniatum Linton, 1890.

Anthobothrium laciniatum Linton, 1890 is redescribed based on specimens taken from the dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur) collected from the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, and a neotype is designated. A. laciniatum differs from A. cornucopia van Beneden, 1850, A. altavelae Euzet & Ben Hassine, 2002, A. lesteri Williams, Burt & Caira, 2004 and A. spinosum Subhapradha, 1955 in total length. It further differs from A. cornucopia, A. altavelae and A. spinosum in proglottid number, and differs from A. galeorhini Suriano, 2002, A. cornucopia, and A. spinosum in testis number. A. lyndoni n. sp. is described from the sandbar shark C. plumbeus (Nardo). This new species differs from A. laciniatum in ovarian width and from A. cornucopia, A. altavelae, A. galeorhini and A. spinosum in the total number of proglottids. It further differs from A. cornucopia, A. galeorhini, and A. spinosum in total length, and from A. cornucopia and A. galeorhini in the number of testes. A. lyndoni n. sp. differs from A. lesteri in bothridial muscle and ovarian morphology. Anthobothrium caseyi n. sp. is described from Prionace glauca (Linnaeus). This new species differs conspicuously from the other six species of Anthobothrium van Beneden, 1850 (sensu stricto) in the shape of its proglottid laciniations. The taxonomic status of 43 species that have been associated with Anthobothrium is addressed. Taxonomic actions regarding Anthobothrium during the past century have resulted in a polyphyletic taxon.