New evidence of a lateral transfer of monogenean parasite between distant fish hosts in Lake Ossa, South Cameroon: the case of Quadriacanthus euzeti n. sp.

Abstract

Species of the monogenean genus Quadriacanthus mainly infect fish belonging to the Siluriformes, especially the genera Clarias, Heterobranchus or Bagrus, and their host specificity is strict (oioxenous) or narrow (stenoxenous). An examination of the gills of 19 Papyrocranus afer from Lake Ossa, South Cameroon, revealed for the first time the presence of a species of Quadriacanthus from a fish host belonging to the Notopteridae. The morphology and the size of sclerotized parts of haptor and the male and female copulatory complexes suggest that this monogenean is a new species named Quadriacanthus euzeti n. sp. The fish genus Papyrocranus differs taxonomically from the usual fish hosts of Quadriacanthus and hence the presence of a species belonging to this genus on the gills of this host suggests the occurrence of a lateral transfer of Quadriacanthus from species belonging to Clarias or Bagrus which live sympatrically with P. afer in Lake Ossa.

Spatial distribution of monogenean gill parasites of Parachanna obscura (Günther, 1861) – Channidae – in Lake Ossa (Edéa, Cameroon)

“…Five species: E. magnus, E. minutus, E. imbachi, E. chibami and E. malleus were recorded on the gill filaments of P. obscura caught in Lake Ossa, Sanaga Basin. This monogenean richness is similar to the finding of Bilong Bilong et al (1994) in the Nyong Basin; it confirms the host interchanges between Cameroonian river systems (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1966) which favor not only parasites' transfers (Nack et al, 2015) but also their geographical dispersal.…”

Diversity and host specificity of monogenean gill parasites (Platyhelminthes) of cichlid fishes in the Bangweulu-Mweru ecoregion

“…Scutogyrus vanhovei Pariselle, Bitja Nyom & Bilong Bilong, 2013 occurs on Coptodon mariae (Boulenger, 1899) instead of on a mouth-brooding host (Pariselle & Euzet, 2009). Also, Quadriacanthus euzeti Nack, Pariselle & Bilong Bilong, 2015 occurs in Lake Ossa on Papyrocranus afer (Günther, 1868) (Osteoglossiformes) instead of on a host belonging to the Siluriformes (Pariselle et al , 2013; Nack et al , 2015). Other noteworthy examples of host switching within Cichlidogyrus are C. amieti , C. nandidae and C. inconsultans from small forest streams in South Cameroon, as these species infect non-cichlids (Pariselle & Euzet, 2009; Messu Mandeng et al , 2015).…”

Two new Quadriacanthus Species (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) Including a New Geographical Record of Quadriacanthus mandibulatus Francová & Řehulková, 2017, Gill Parasites from Heterobranchus bidorsalis (Siluriformes) in Côte d’Ivoire

“…Genus Quadriacanthus Paperna, 1961. The anatomy of the new species described during this study corresponds to the diagnosis of Quadriacanthus given by Paperna [12], amended by Kritsky & Kulo [9], used by Nack et al [13], Bahanak et al [14,15] and Francová et al [7].…”

“…In Uganda, they infect two fish families: Clariidae and Bagridae, and three fish families: Clariidae, Claroteidae and Notopteridae in Cameroon. Indeed, according to Nacket al [13], the description of Q. euzeti on the gill of P. afer (Notopteridae) in the lake Ossa (Cameroon) and Q. anaspidoglanii Akoumba, Pariselle et Tombi, 2017, on of Anaspidoglanis macrostoma Pellegrin, 1909 (Claroteidae) in River Mengong (Cameroon) would be the result of lateral transfers [13,16]. Anyway, the Clariidae hosts (Clarias gariepinus Bruchell, 1822, Heterobranchus isopterus Bleeker, 1863 and H. longifilis Valenciennes, 1840) are so far the most infected fishes by the Quadriacanthus (10, 5 and 5, respectively) which would seem to be originally specific to this family.…”