New gyrodactylid parasite from Moon fish, Citharinus citharus (Characiformes: Citharinidae) from the Kenyan Lake Turkana
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | A parasitological survey during the period 2008-2010 revealed the presence of several gyrodatylids from freswater/brakish fish species collected from Lake Turkana (Northern Kenya).The current study focuses on the description of a new genus and species of Gyrodactylidae from the gills of Moon fish, Citharinus citharus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire), which was initially reported as “Gyrodactylus sp. 3” by Přikrylová et al. (2013). Morphological and molecular analyses revealed no similarities with previously known genera. Parasites present general Gyrodactylus-like body morphology, a round-shaped opisthaptor bearing sixteen marginal hooks and a single pair of hamuli, possessing a constriction at level of the hamulus point curve. Ventral bar is simple, without processes. Dorsal bar thin, with prominent attachment points. The new genus differs from the other gyrodactylid genera by the morphology of the male copulatory organ, which is bulbous-shaped, presenting a cylindrical structure with a central principal spine originating from the base of the bulb, surrounded all over by several smaller cactus-like spines, and an apical single crown of 10-12 closely arranged triangular spines facing upwards. Molecular characterisation poses this new genus as a sister taxon of Afrogyrodactylus Paperna, 1968. Their phylogenetic position among Gyrodactylidae is strongly supported, forming a clade far from African Gyrodactylus species. |
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