Diversity of monogenean parasites in belonid fishes off the Mediterranean Sea with redescription of Aspinatrium gallieni Euzet and Ktari, 1971 and Axine belones Abildgaard, 1794

Châari, Manel; Derbel, Hela; Neifar, Lassad

doi:10.12980/jclm.4.2016j6-36

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…We interpret this as accidental parasitism, or simply human error, and we note that Cy. bellones was not found on the fish itself in later studies on the parasitofauna from this host [ 11 , 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Truly a hyperparasite, or simply an epibiont on a parasite? The case of Cyclocotyla bellones (Monogenea, Diclidophoridae)

2022

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Cyclocotyla bellones Otto, 1823 (Monogenea, Diclidophoridae) is one of the few monogenean species reported as hyperparasitic: the worms dwell on cymothoid isopods, themselves parasites of the buccal cavity of fishes. We present here observations based on newly collected monogenean specimens from Ceratothoa parallela (Otto, 1828), an isopod parasite of Boops boops off Algeria and also investigated its diet to address whether Cy. bellones is indeed a hyperparasite, i.e., whether it feeds on the isopod. We also compared the body shape of various monogeneans belonging to the same family as Cy. bellones, the Diclidophoridae, including Choricotyle cf. chrysophryi Van Beneden & Hesse, 1863, collected from Pagellus acarne off Algeria. No morphological character of the anterior organs suggested any special adaptation in Cy. bellones to the perforation of the crustacean cuticle. The wall of the oesophagus and of the intestine of Cy. bellones was lined with a dark pigment similar to what is usually observed in haematophagous polyopisthocotyleans, and which is derived from ingested fish blood. We noticed that an anterior elongate stem exists only in diclidophorids dwelling on parasitic isopods and never in those attached to the gills. We hypothesize that the anterior stem of the body of Cy. bellones is an anatomical adaptation for the monogenean to feed on the fish while dwelling on the isopod. We thus consider that Cy. bellones is an epibiont of the parasitic crustacean, as it uses it merely as an attachment substrate, and is not a true hyperparasite.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%