Title: Male copulatory organs of Annulotrema (Monogenea:Dactylogyridae) parasitizing African tetras: Does the size andshape matter?
Abstract: To date, three genera of dactylogyridean parasites have been
recorded on African characiform fishes: Afrocleidodiscus (3
species), Annulotrema (46 species) and Characidotrema (10
species). Annulotrema represent the most species-rich genus,
while 39 species are parasitizing hosts from the family
Alestidae. Alestidae, often called African tetras are
distributed in freshwaters almost throughtout Africa, and
belong to the most speciose family of the African characiform
fishes. During field trips in Kenya (2008, 2009) and Sudan
(2010, 2014) a total of five species of the Alestidae (Alestes
baremoze, Alestes dentex, Brycinus nurse, Hydrocynus
forskahlii, Micralestes elongatus) have been examined and 16
Annulotrema species were found: Annulotrema ansatum Kicinjaova
and Řehulkova, 2015; A. pontile Kicinjaova and Řehulkova, 2015;
A. bipatens Kicinjaova, Řehulkova and Gelnar, 2015; A.
cucullatum Kicinjaova, Řehulkova and Blažek, 2015; A. besalis
Řehulkova, Musilova and Gelnar 2014; A. sangmelinensis Birgi,
1988; A. nili Paperna, 1973; A. alestesnursi Paperna, 1973; A.
delta Paperna, 1973; A. elongata Paperna & Thurston, 1969; A.
spiropenis Paperna, 1969, and five others probably represent
species new to science. The main objectives of the present
study are to: 1) investigate species diversity of Annulotrema
species from alestids in Lake Turkana, Kenya and Blue and White
Nile, Sudan; 2) evaluate the relative taxonomic importance of
the characters of the reproductive organs and those of the
haptoral sclerites in accordance with molecular data; and 3)
build, for the first time, the molecular phylogeny of
dactylogyrids infecting African tetras based on partial
sequences of the 28S rDNAgene. Morphological analysis of
sclerotized structures of the Annulotrema species indicates
that the most important feature for species determination
within this genus is the morphology of the male copulatory
organ (abbreviated below as MCO). Our survey of monogeneans
found on the gills of five species of tetras suggests that
there are at least four morpho-groups within these parasites,
with regard to the basic structure of the MCO. The division
into the groups based on morphological criterions was also
supported by molecular data. Results of the phylogenetic
analysis show the monophyletic nature of the Annulotrema
species.
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-05-18
Language: en
Type: article
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