Description of a new gyrodactylid (Gyrodactylidae: Monogenea) genus from the gills of the bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters) from Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | There is a rich diversity of fish and amphibians in Africa’s inland water systems that serve as hosts for at least seven gyrodactylid genera. Currently, Africa’s gyrodactylid fauna includes species belonging to Afrogyrodactylus (3 species), Cithradactylus (1 species), Diplogyrodactylus (1 species), Gyrdicotylus (1 species), Gyrodactylus (35species), Macrogyrodactylus (9 species), and, Mormyrogyrodactylus (1 species). In August, 2011, gyrodactylid material was collected from the gills of two specimens of bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidodus, from Lake Kariba. The parasites collected presented a unique morphology and are regarded to represent a new genus. The monogeneans are viviparous, containing at least one developing embyro within in utero. The attachment apparatus consists of a single pair of hamuli with prominently flattened roots and a notable constriction one third along the length of the hamulus point. The hamuli are connected by a simple and thin dorsal bar. There are sixteen marginal hooks of one morphological type but of three different sizes. The male copulatory organ consists of a muscular pouch armed with approximately 30 gracile spines. Phylogenetic analyses constucted on partial sequences of 18S rDNA using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference using a selected phylogenetic model did not place the new genus alongside other viviparous genera within the Gyrodactylidae. A Neighbour Joining analysis based on the uncorrected p-distances, however, clustered the new genus with Diplogyrodactylus martini, which possesses marginal hooks with two different morphologies. A morphological and molecular description of the monogeneans collected from M. macrolepidotus is presented and discussed. |
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