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The present study provides new host and first description of the male of Colobomatus stelliferi Pombo, Turra, Paschoal & Luque, 2015 (Copepoda, Philichthyidae), collected from the mandibular canals of the Argentine croaker Umbrina canosai Berg, off the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four out of nine fish analyzed (prevalence 44.4%) were parasitized by C. stelliferi and showed a mean intensity of 2.5 (range 2-3, standard deviation 1.25). Adult males of C. stelliferi can be differentiated from their closest congeners based on the combination of the following characters: maxilliped with naked basal segment and small apical spine, the presence of two elements on the second endopodal segment of the antenna, and the presence of leg 4. This parasitic copepod is seemingly host-specific to fish of the family Sciaenidae and its occurrence is restricted to the Brazilian coast. The present results contribute to our knowledge of the biology of C. stelliferi and of the parasitic copepod fauna from Brazil., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Two new species of copepods assigned to the genus Acusicola Cressey, 1970 (Cyclopoida: Ergasilidae) are proposed based on post-metamorphic adult females, parasitizing the gills of two actinopterygian fish off Brazil namely, the Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch) (Lobotidae), collected in the coastal zone of the State of Pará, near Curuçá Municipallity, and the Swordspine snook Centropomus ensiferus Poey (Centropomidae) collected in Sepetiba Bay, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Acusicola iamarinoi n. sp. parasite of L. surinamensis, differs from its closet congeners based on the first segment of the antennule armed with 10 setae, the presence of a maxillule armed with four elements and a pair of blunt processes dorsally on the fourth pedigerous somite. Acusicola pasternakae n. sp., collected from C. ensiferus, can be distinguished from its closest congeners based on the membranous sheath of the first endopodal segment of antenna with horizontal marks, the first segment of the antennule armed with 11 setae and a spine on the last exopodal segment of leg 2. This is the first report of representatives of Acusicola parasitizing fish of the families Lobotidae and Centropomidae as well as new geographical records of the genus in the coast of State of Pará and in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 is an invasive fish species rapidly expanding in Siberia and Europe. Its native range encompasses the Far East region of Russia, northeastern China and northern North Korea. We studied species composition, prevalence, mean abundance and variance of mean abundance of macroparasites of the Chinese sleeper in the native and the introduced range. The species composition of the parasite component communities differed considerably in the native and the introduced range. The frequency distributions of prevalence, mean abundance and variance of mean abundance of the parasites did not demonstrate any significant differentiation between the two parts of the host range. However, an analysis of the abundance-occupancy and the abundance-variance relationships revealed that the parasite component communities in the two parts of the host range were quite distinct. In the native range, prevalence increased faster and variance increased more slowly with the increasing abundance of the parasites than in the introduced range. These features are mostly associated with considerably increased prevalence, abundance and aggregation of the host-specific cestode Nippotaenia mogurndae in recipient water bodies as compared with the native habitats., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Haemulidae represents one of the most diverse, widespread and conspicuous families of Perciformes, in which most species are marine, some brackish and rarely from freshwater. From April 2009 to July 2012, 120 specimens of Conodon nobilis, 60 Orthopristis rubra and 50 Anisotremus virginicus were collected off the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and analyzed for metazoan parasites. A total of 16 parasite taxa were found on/in A. virginicus, 19 on/in Co. nobilis and 21 on/in O. rubra, in which ectoparasites were most common on A. virginicus and Co. nobilis and endoparasites in O. rubra. All parasites showed aggregate pattern of distribution (discrepancy index values higher than 0.70). Mean abundance, species richness and Brillouin index (diversity) differed among the host species, i.e., O. rubra showed the highest values, followed by A. virginicus and Co. nobilis with intermediate and lowest values, respectively. At infracommunity level was possible to observe high similarity of parasite composition among the three host species. The digeneans Leurodera decora and Monorchis latus, and the acanthocephalan Koronacantha sp. represent new locality records off Brazil. Moreover, five, four and two taxa are reported, for the first time, parasitizing Co. nobilis, A. virginicus and O. rubra, respectively.

An undescribed species of KannaphallusUnnithan, 1957 (Monogenoidea: Heteraxinidae) was collected from the gills of the golden trevally Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål) (Carangidae) from Moreton Bay, Queensland, during January 2016 and from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, during December 2021 and June 2022. The diagnosis for Kannaphallus was emended and the new species, Kannaphallus raphidium, was described. Kannaphallus virilis of Young, nec Unnithan was placed in synonymy with K. raphidium. The distal components of the male reproductive system and the arrangement of the clamp rows of the haptor occurred as mirror images among specimens of K. raphidium, suggesting that the respective antipodes of K. raphidium may have reproductive implications and function in the site selection of the parasite on the host's gills. A specimen of K. raphidium from Western Australia was sequenced for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA barcoding markers, and the phylogenetically informative 28S rDNA marker. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses based on a partial 28S rDNA alignment, including all comparable heteraxinid sequence data available, resolved the Heteraxininae and Cemocotylinae as reciprocatively paraphyletic and provided evidence that Kannaphallus may be paraphyletic. No taxonomic changes concerning the subfamilies and genera of the Heteraxinidae were proposed. Finally, Kannaphallus univaginalisRamalingam, 1960 and Cemocotylelloides univaginalis (Ramalingam, 1960) Nitta, Kondo, Ohtsuka, Kamarudin, and Ismail, 2022 are considered nomen nuda sensu the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2023.)

Purpose: The present study deals with a redescription of the copepod Lernaeenicus longiventris Wilson, 1917 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Pennellidae) found on the Pacific crevalle jack Caranx caninus Günther, using morphological and molecular analyses., Methods: Fish were collected off Mazatlán Port (23° 12' N, 106° 26' W), in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico (southeastern Gulf of California). The copepods were morphologically analyzed by light microscopy. Sequences of the COI mtDNA gene were generated for the first time for this species. These sequences were compared to COI sequences from six species of Lernaeenicus available in GenBank., Results: The specimens of the present study exhibited a cephalosome without apparent lateral processes, which were originally described for L. longiventris. No remarkable differences were observed with previous descriptions regarding appendages and body proportions. The phylogenetic tree based on COI sequences showed that L. longiventris was closer to L. radiatus although with low bootstrap values support in ML tree, both species formed a sister clade of L. sprattae., Conclusions: Lernaeenicus longiventris is the unique species of the genus in the Mexican Pacific and the Gulf of California, and also the unique species of Lernaeenicus infecting C. caninus. Molecular data of L. longiventris from host and locality type are required to avoid misidentification of this species., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Parasites may have various effects on their host's health. It is important to determine the type of the effects but also to decipher the physiological mechanisms underlying a parasitic infection. In this study, swimming ability (by a fixed swim speed test) and haematological analyses (by blood parameters) were compared between juvenile fish Girella laevifrons non-parasitised and parasitised with metacercariae of Prosorhynchoides sp. Fish were infested in the laboratory using natural parasitised mussels. Aerobic swimming time, total erythrocyte and leukocyte counts were compared among four groups of fish: non-parasitised (NP), non-parasitised but manipulated (NPM), parasitised 3 days (PT1), and 10 days (PT2) post-infection. Differentiated haematological components were also compared among NP, PT1 and PT2 fish groups. Parasitised fish (PT1 and PT2) swam between 32% and 55% less time than unparasitised fish. Erythrocyte counts were lower in PT1, indicating anemia, and total leukocyte counts were higher in PT1, showing immune action. Macrophages and basophils were observed only in parasitised fish, independent of the post-infection time. There was a negative correlation between swimming time and leukocyte counts. Increased leukocytes in the blood indicate activation of the innate cellular immune response, which may be metabolically costly for the host. Moreover, the anemia in parasitised fish would reduce the oxygen transport necessary to carry out aerobic exercise, reducing the swimming capacity. In fish several days post-infection (PT2), the erythrocytes count reached normal values, and some kinds of leukocytes decreased in comparison to fish PT1. This suggests that parasitised fish with metacercariae were recovering., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Patterns of the rockcod Notothenia coriiceps infection with helminths were analysed to understand the dynamics of parasite communities in this Antarctic fish and to test their stability over time. The study was performed using helminth samples collected from 183 N. coriiceps in 2014-2015 and 2020-2021 in the vicinity of the Ukrainian Antarctic station (UAS) "Akademik Vernadsky", Galindez Island, Argentine Islands, West Antarctica. Overall, 25 helminth taxonomical categories (nine trematodes, four cestodes, five nematodes, and seven acanthocephalans) were subjected to analysis. A direct comparison of the helminth population characteristics showed that nine species significantly changed their infection parameters during the 6 years between the samples. Seven of them (Pseudoterranova sp., Contracaecum sp., Ascarophis nototheniae, monolocular metacestodes, bilocular metacestodes, Metacanthocephalus rennicki, and Diphyllobothrium sp.) were found to have a significant impact on the differences between helminth infracommunities in 2014-2015 and 2020-2021. Most studied patterns of helminth component community appeared to show a stable tendency, and observed fluctuations were close to the steady trend. Slight but significant changes in the infection patterns observed in this study might have been caused by changes in the populations of intermediate, paratenic, and definitive hosts of helminths (marine invertebrates, mammals, and birds), which participate in helminth transmission in Antarctic ecosystems., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Copper alloy sheets have been shown to prevent cryptocaryoniasis. Therefore, we studied the potential efficiency of copper alloy mesh (CAM) in aquaculture tanks to prevent cryptocaryoniasis outbreaks. The effectivenesses of CAM against the tomont stage of Cryptocaryon irritans and in protecting fish from cryptocaryoniasis were tested both in vitro and in vivo. The mortality rate of C. irritans tomonts increased as the contact time with CAM rose and peaked at 70 min (100% of mortality). Morphological changes were observed such as the shrinking of the protoplasm of the treated tomonts, resulting in a larger gap between the cytoplasm and the cyst wall. Mitochondrial dysfunction due to shrinkage in the inner portion, outer and inner mitochondrial membrane damage and cytoplasmic vacuolation was revealed by ultrastructural analysis. The use of CAM effectively preventing reinfection was also provided. In comparison with group B (infected fish without CAM), both groups A (uninfected fish as a control group) and C (infected fish treated with CAM) had a 100% survival rate until the end of the trial. CAM has the same anticryptocaryoniasis effect as copper alloy sheets but is more advantageous due to its lightweight, reduced labor cost and lower purchase cost. It is noticeable that CAM exposure also prevents the excessive accumulation of copper ions in aquaculture sea water., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Behavioral variation among conspecific organisms can have substantial ecological impacts, particularly affecting parasite infection. Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) exhibit multiple male reproductive morphotypes that differ in their size, feeding dynamics, and reproductive behavior. This study investigated how these morphological and ecological differences contribute to the patterns of infection by strigeid trematodes., Methods: A total of 1961 L. macrochirus was collected from 14 lakes and ponds in northwestern Virginia, USA, and were necropsied to identify and enumerate three common strigeid parasites, white grub (Posthodiplostoum spp.), black grub (Uvulifer ambloplitis), and yellow grub (Clinostomum marginatum) infecting the fish and determine if there were different infection patterns among sexes and morphotypes., Results: Strigeid infections in L. macrochirus α-males were in greater abundance compared to females and β-males. Additionally, α-males had greater strigeid infection in the kidneys and fins, while females and β-males accumulated more parasites in the liver and body tissues., Conclusions: Increased nesting responsibilities and potential interaction with snail intermediate hosts by α-males may lead to the differences in infection patterns. The distinction of morphotypes revealed significant differences in abundance and distribution of parasite infections between the sexes of L. macrochirus, trends that were masked when male morphotypes are combined., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Cynoscionella n. g. is proposed for Cynoscionella sanmarci n. sp. and two previously described species of Diplectanum Diesing, 1858 were reassigned into the new genus. The three species are gill parasites of sciaenid fishes (Perciformes: Sciaenidae). The new genus is closely related with Diplectanum (sensu stricto), but is mainly distinguished by its male copulatory organ (MCO) having a slightly sclerotized sleeve-shaped base, lacking accessory piece and accessory copulatory organ. In addition, Cynoscionella n. g. differs from Diplectanum species by having the ventral anchors with well-developed roots, and a prostatic reservoir simple. Cynoscionella sanmarci n. sp. is a parasite of the cachema weakfish Cynoscion phoxocephalus Jordan & Gilbert, a demersal teleost collected from off the coastal zone of Puerto Pizarro, Tumbes region, northern Peru. Diplectanum bilobatum Hargis, 1955 from the spotted weakfish Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier) and D. monticellii Domingues & Boeger, 2003 from the smooth weakfish Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier), are transferred to Cynoscionella n. g. as Cy. bilobatum (Hargis, 1955) n. comb. and Cy. monticelli (Domingues & Boeger, 2003) n. comb. The present finding represents the first data on the monogenean parasites of C. phoxocephalus. This is the thirteenth marine diplectanid species recorded from Peru., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A new species of parasitic copepod, Lepeophtheirus mondacola sp. nov. (Siphonostomatoida; Caligidae), is described based on female and male specimens obtained from the shortjaw leatherjacket Oligoplites refulgens (Actinopterygii; Perciformes; Carangidae), captured in the southeastern Gulf of California off northwestern Mexico. The new species can be separated from its congeners by a combination of characters that includes: adult female with a subquadrate genital complex bearing slightly protruded posterolateral corners, two indistinct somites on the abdomen which, when combined together, is about two times longer than wide, a caudal ramus that is twice as long as it is wide, a postantennal process comprising a stout base and short claw, a dentiform process of the maxillule with two unequal tines, a maxilliped with a stout protopod and subchela, a sternal furca with a pair of bifurcated tines, a leg 3 exopod composed of 2 segments, five setae on the distal endopodal segment of leg 3 and a leg 4 exopod composed of three segments and armed with one long and two short apical spines on the distal exopodal segment; adult male with a suborbicular genital complex, an abdomen composed of one short and one long, indistinctly separated somites, a caudal ramus that is twice as long as it is wide, a stout postantennal process, a small triangular process at the base of the inner tine of the maxillulary dentiform process and a 3-segmented exopod on leg 4. Lepeophtheirus mondacola sp. nov. represents the first record of a species of Lepeophtheirus from a member of Oligoplites and the second caligid species reported from O. refulgens., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Seto Inland Sea, the largest inland sea in Japan, is a rich fishery with high biodiversity and productivity. Monogeneans have been studied for more than 120 years, and 58 nominal species have been recorded in the Seto inland Sea. This study provided DNA information on five species of Benedenia sensu lato (Capsalidae) from marine fishes from the sea, and one of them, Benedenia kobudai n. sp., is described from Semicossyphus reticulatus (Perciformes: Labridae). This new species differs from the other congeners by the hooded appearance between the anterior attachment organs, the morphology of the penis, the absence of the lobe near the vaginal pore and the common genital pore, the position of the vaginal pore, the germarium lying near the slightly hexagonal testes, the morphology of the haptor, and the shape and position of the hamuli. Phylogenetic analysis showed B. kobudai n. sp. in a separate clade from the other Benedenia species, B. epinepheli, B. hoshinai, B. sekii, and B. seriolae collected from the sea. Each of the newly provided DNA sequences (28S rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, cox1) of the above four species are based on specimens obtained from the type hosts and/or type localities and are considered important for future taxonomic re-examination and confirmation of the reliability of the registered sequences. Furthermore, these four species are important causes of fish diseases in aquaculture, and it is expected that information on the distribution, host range, and occurrence of fish diseases for each capsalid secured by molecular identification will be accumulated. The Life Science Identifier (LSID): urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:26C15D17-CFD1-450D-9FCE-EFFF692D2133., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lernaeopodidae Milne Edwards, 1840, is an ecological and economically important fish parasite family of copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda), consisting of 48 genera with 334 valid species. To date, approximately 17 genera have been documented from both teleost and elasmobranch hosts from South African marine waters. As part of parasitological surveys targeting parasites of the endemic intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus) (Clinidae) along the South African coast, a species of Lernaeopodidae was discovered on the gills of this host. Alella igillimpethu n. sp. is described from Clinus superciliosus from Langebaan marina on the west coast of South Africa, with a prevalence of 42.1% and mean intensity of 2.9 (ranging from 1-13). Morphological identification was done using light and scanning electron microscopy and the species description was generated with the aid of DEscription Language for TAxonomy (DELTA) software. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) region, as well as partial 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA genes confirmed the classification within the family Lernaeopodidae. This is the first report of Lernaeopodidae from C. superciliosus, or in fact any member of Clinidae, as well as the first molecular characterisation of any marine lernaeopodid infecting teleost fish from South Africa. This study contributes valuable genetic and morphological data for this copepod family, as well as new host and distribution records., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Encystment is crucial for defense and reproduction in Cryptocaryon irritans. Therefore, understanding the encystment-related events in the protomont stage can help prevent and control C. irritans. Autophagy promotes protozoan parasite encystation. However, 3MA can inhibit autophagy. In this study, the effects of autophagy inhibition on encystation, survival rate, ultrastructural features, and metabolomic profiles of C. irritans, were evaluated using protomonts treated with 3MA (20 mM). The treatment with 3MA for about 4 h significantly lowered survival and encystation rates of protomonts to about 86.44% and 76.08%, respectively. Microstructural observations showed that the 3MA-treated protomonts showed deformed cell membranes and the cytoplasmic content spill. Furthermore, observation of the ultrastructure of 3MA-treated protomonts showed the destruction of organelles (Golgi bodies and mucocyst) and a lack of autophagosomes. However, no abnormality was observed in the control experiments. Furthermore, the metabolic analysis revealed suppression of metabolites, such as lipids, amino acids, and carbohydrates. These results demonstrate that 3MA can inhibit autophagy in C. irritans, thus hindering encystation, suppressing the metabolism of metabolites, and altering morphological ultrastructure in these parasites., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Recent examinations of some marine fishes from off the southern coast of Iraq revealed the presence of five species of Philometra Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae): Philometra arabiensis sp. n. (males and females) from the ovary of the shrimp scad Alepes djedaba (Forsskål) (Carangidae, Carangiformes), Philometra psettoditis Moravec, Walter et Yuniar, 2012 (females) from the body cavity of the Indian halibut Psettodes erumei (Bloch et Schneider) (Psettodidae, Pleuronectiformes), Philometra terapontis Moravec, Gopalakrishnan, Rajkumar, Saravanakumar et Kaliyamoorthy, 2011 (female) from the ovary of the jarbua terapon Terapon jarbua (Forsskål) (Terapontidae, Centrarchiformes), Philometra sp. (females) from the ovary of the Arabian blackspot threadfin Polydactylus mullani (Hora) (Polynemidae, Carangariformes) and Philometra sp. 2 of Moravec et al. (2016a) (females) from the ovary and body cavity of the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) (Platycephalidae, Perciformes). Philometra arabiensis sp. n. is mainly characterised by the length of spicules (198-243 µm) and gubernaculum (75-99 µm), the gubernaculum/spicule length ratio (1 : 2.33-2.79), the structure of the gubernaculum distal portion and the male caudal end, and the body length of males (1.86-2.73 mm). The present findings of P. psettoditis and P. terapontis in fishes of the Arabian Gulf represent new geographical records for these parasites.

Cucullanus tunisiensis sp. nov., (Nematoda: Cucullanidae), collected from the intestine of the white grouper Epinephelus aeneus from waters off the coast of Tunisia is described based on light and scanning electron microscopic observations. The new species is characterized by the presence of lateral alae, ventral sucker, long unequal spicules (left spicule 2474-2789 μm long, right spicule 2357-2518 μm long). This is the sixth nominal species of the genus Cucullanus Müller, 1777 and the first representative of this genus infecting fishes of Serranidae family reported from Tunisian waters., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The ichthyofauna of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts off the American continent is very rich. Consequently, a high biodiversity of nematodes parasitizing these vertebrates is also expected. Currently, data on nematode parasites of marine fish off the Americas are fragmented. A review of all adult nematode species reported parasitizing marine fish from off the American continent is herein presented, as well as comments on their patterns of diversity, life cycles and advances in the taxonomic and phylogenetic knowledge. A total of 209 valid species, 19 species inquirendae and 6 dubious records have been recorded, the majority from the fish taxa Eupercaria and Perciformes. The families Sciaenidae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae, as well as the tropical and temperate Atlantic waters, exhibited the highest records of parasitic nematodes. The Cucullanidae, Philometridae and Cystidicolidae were the most speciose families of nematodes, which may be related to technological advances and relatively recent efforts of taxonomists, resulting in description of new taxa and the resolution of taxonomic problems. Numerous taxonomic questions still need resolution and, even though genetic data have been important for this process, the database is very scarce. This is the first review on all currently known nematode species parasitizing marine fish off the Americas and may serve as an important basis of reference for future approaches on these organisms.

Members of the parasitic copepod family Pennellidae are highly transformed ecto- or mesoparasites infecting a wide array of marine teleosts. Currently, this family contains more than 20 valid genera. The pennellid genus Cardiodectes Wilson, 1917 is currently known to contain 15 nominal species. Some pennellids exhibit a complex life cycle involving an intermediate host; it is known that planktonic pteropod molluscs are intermediate hosts for Cardiodectes. Pennellid mesoparasites can be detected by the conspicuous female egg-carrying trunk on the host external surface. The copepod cephalothorax is deeply embedded in the host muscle tissue. Members of Cardiodectes have been reported from several teleost families, mainly Myctophidae and Engraulidae. From the parasitological examination of a juvenile individual of a scarid teleost collected in a reef lagoon of Roatan Island, Honduras, Central America, several ovigerous female individuals of a mesoparasitic pennellid copepod were found; these specimens were recognized as representative of an undescribed species of Cardiodectes Wilson, 1917. The new species, C. roatanensis n. sp., differs from its known congeners in several respects, including the presence of neck lobes, paired posterior protuberances of the trunk, trunk shape and proportions, structure of cephalothorax lobes, cephalothorax relative size, and number of legs. The new species from Roatan is the second member of this copepod genus to be reported from the Caribbean region, after C. boxshalli Bellwood, 1981 from off Jamaica (Bellwood 1981). It is also the second report of Cardiodectes on a parrotfish., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Prestige oil-spill (2002) is one of the major marine accidents resulting in contamination of virtually all types of marine habitat along c.900 km of coastline in the North-East Atlantic. Environmental pollution affects parasite populations and communities, both directly and through effects on intermediate and definitive hosts. However, the effects of oil-spills on shelf benthic communities are poorly known. This study addressed the hypothesis of recovery of parasite communities in a marine sparid teleost, the bogue Boops boops (L.) (Teleostei: Sparidae), as indicators of environmental pollution and its effects on benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities in an impacted area off the Galician coast, Spain, 12-13 years after the Prestige oil-spill. Novel data for the metazoan parasite communities collected during 2014-2015 were analysed in association with two unique datasets, one comprising baseline data collected in 2001, one year before the Prestige oil-spill, and one comprising data collected 3-4 years post-spill (2005-2006). Using the taxonomically consistent data on parasites in a series of fish seasonal samples, we found significant differences between the two seasonal post-spill datasets taken at a 9-year time interval (3-4 years and 12-13 years post-spill) in most community metrics and infection parameters of the common species. This was in sharp contrast with the few differences between the long-term post-spill dataset of 2014-2015 and the pre-spill dataset of 2001. Multivariate community similarity analyses confirmed that these differences reflected in the substantial differentiation of parasite community composition and structure of the post-spill communities and the significant homogenisation of communities sampled 12-13 years post-spill and baseline communities. Overall, the novel analyses demonstrated a long-term directional trend in parasite community succession towards ecological recovery irrespective of the natural seasonal variability. These findings suggest longer-term oil-spill impacts on shelf benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities lasting over 10 years., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The microcotylid Sciaenacotyle pancerii is a pathogenic monogenean infecting Argyrosomus regius , a candidate for species diversification in the Mediterranean aquaculture. Life-history stages of S. pancerii commonly co-occur in field infections, but to date, morphological data have only been provided for oncomiracidia and adults although identifying life-history stages can be useful in infection management. A total of 114 specimens of S. pancerii were analysed to characterize the developmental events and to assess morphological and morphometric variations before and after maturity. The post-larval development of S. pancerii is characterized by: expansion and bifurcation of the gut, loss of the larval haptor, protandrous development of the genitalia and vitellaria formation. The size variability of larval hooks, hamuli and germanium of S. pancerii is firstly reported and dimensional ranges of parasite body, haptor, testes, posteriormost clamps and eggs are widened. The size of most of the diagnostic features of S. pancerii significantly increases after parasite maturity and therefore, only those specimens with more than 116 clamps should be considered for minimising development-related variability in size. The high number of clamps, their fast development and the asymmetry in their size and arrangement suggest that S. pancerii may use a mixed attachment strategy between the closely related microcotylids and heteraxinids. This combination of features may be host related and linked to the gill structure of the sciaenid fish and the phylogenetic position of the genus Sciaenacotyle ; distant from other microcotylids while close to heteraxinid species.

The present paper reports the site of attachment preference, overlapping and partitioning of niche among different life stages of parasitic isopod Cymothoa indica Schiöedte and Meinert, 1884 in the Gobiidae fish Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton 1822) collected from the Chilika lagoon, India. Out of 2113 host fishes, 176 were found to be infected by the parasites. Out of the 233 different life stages of the parasites examined, 89 were female, 104 were male, and the rests were juveniles. 100% of the females, 84.6% of the male and 72.5% of the juveniles were found to be attached to the buccal cavity, while the rest of the males and juveniles were attached to the branchial cavity. In most cases, there was niche overlapping, leading to competition for the resources. Females preferred more specialized niches as compared to males and juveniles. In a few instances, there is niche partitioning, as shown by the male and juveniles. There is a negative correlation between the number of parasites found in the body of the fishes and the weight of the host fishes. This manuscript also provides a brief description of the different life stages of this parasite in the above-mentioned host collected from the same lagoon., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The current trend in marine parasitology research, particularly in South Africa, is to focus on a specific parasite taxon and not on the total parasite community of a specific fish host. However, these records do not always reveal the ecological role of parasites in ecosystems. Thus, the present study aimed to determine which factors influence the parasite community composition of the endemic southern African intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus (n = 75). Metazoan parasites were sampled from four localities (two commercial harbours - west coast; and two relatively pristine localities - southeast coast) along the South African coast. A total of 75 klipfish were examined for parasites, where 30 distinct taxa, representing seven taxonomic groups were found: Acanthocephala (4 taxa), Cestoda (2 taxa), Crustacea (5 taxa), Digenea (11 taxa), Hirudinea (2 taxa), Monogenea (1 taxon) and Nematoda (5 taxa). Results indicated that the main driver of diversity was locality, with the highest diversity on the southeast coast, most likely due to higher water temperatures and upwelling compared to the west coast. The parasite community composition of the klipfish was significantly influenced by water temperature and parasite life cycle. These results emphasise the importance of parasitological surveys including all parasite taxa in hosts from multiple localities and seasons, to better comprehend their ecological role., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Studying the genetic diversity of nematode parasite populations is crucial to gaining insight into parasite infection dynamics and informing parasite phylogeography. Anisakiasis is a zoonotic disease caused by the consumption of infectious third-stage larvae (L3) of Anisakis spp. carried by marine fish. In the present study, a total of 206 mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome c oxidase 2, cox2) were used to study the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and historical demography of twelve A. pegreffii populations from Trichiurus japonicas along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan. Two distinct evolutionary lineages of A. pegreffii and no significant genealogical structures corresponding to sampling localities suggested that isolation in the marginal seas shaped their patterns of phylogeographic distribution along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan during glaciation with lower sea levels. Furthermore, pairwise F ST values and AMOVA did not indicate any significant genetic differentiation among groups with no relation to the geographic area, which might be attributed to fewer barriers to gene flow as well as large population sizes. The results of the neutrality test, mismatch distribution, and Bayesian skyline plot analyses showed that entire population underwent population expansion during the late Pleistocene. Analysis of the demographic history revealed that A. pegreffii underwent historical lineage diversification and admixture due to secondary contact based on ABC analysis. The present research represents the first definitive population structure and demographic history across sampling locations of A. pegreffii along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A parasitological survey searching diplectanids (Monogenea: Diplecatnidae) infesting the gills of marine fishes from South America was carried out during the 2019-2020 period. The gills of four sciaenid species, 2 Cheilotrema fasciatum Tschudi, 1 smalleye croaker Nebris microps Cuvier, 2 royal highhat Pareques lanfeari (Barton), and 1 minor stardrum Stellifer minor (Tschudi), were sampled. Six new species of Rhamnocercus Monaco, Wood & Mizelle, 1954 were described: Rhamnocercus chacllae n. sp. and Rhamnocercus chaskae n. sp. from P. lanfeari, Rhamnocercus fasciatus n. sp. from C. fasciatum, Rhamnocercus microps n. sp. from N. microps, and Rhamnocercus rimaci n. sp. and Rhamnocercus tantaleani n. sp. from S. minor. Rhamnocercus chacllae n. sp. can be differentiated from its congeners by its L-shaped male copulatory organ (MCO) and by having an anteromedial slight notch at ventral bar. Rhamnocercus chaskae n. sp. differs from the other species of the genus by its long and straight MCO with bifid distal end and by having haptoral accessory spines at level of ventral bar with quadrifid distal portion. Rhamnocercus fasciatus n. sp. is characterized by possessing a straight and long MCO with truncated distal end, haptoral accessory spines at level of ventral bar with bifid distal portion, dorsal bars with a knob at lateral extremity, and a large vagina with bell-shaped. Rhamnocercus microps n. sp. differs from all congeners mainly by having a short and straight MCO with the distal end of internal tube spatulate and uncovered by external tube. Rhamnocercus rimaci n. sp. is can be distinguished from all other species of Rhamnocercus by having an almost J-shaped MCO with the distal end of external tube slight expanded and the distal end of internal tube narrow and uncovered by external tube. Rhamnocercus tantaleani n. sp. is mainly characterized by its MCO, which is tubular and straight, having the distal end of external tube bifurcated (right branch well-expanded and left branch narrow) and the distal end of internal tube enveloped by left branch of the external tube. This is the first data on the parasites of P. lanfeari, a little known, but popular fish in local markets from Peru. Rhamnocercus microps n. sp. is the first described species of Rhamnocercus in Brazil. The present finding brings to 12, the number of known species of Rhamnocercus. A key to Rhamnocercus species is provided., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Kudoa inornata is a myxosporean that infects the seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus. Increased prevalence of infection as fish age and absence of inflammation against plasmodia led to the hypothesis that seatrout retain and accumulate myxospores throughout their lives. However, opportunistic observations that wild-caught seatrout cleared infection when maintained in aquaculture conditions and evidence of encapsulated infected necrotic myofibers suggested that fish develop an immunity against this parasite, or that myxospores have a limited life span. To evaluate myxospore clearance and to test putative resistance to re-infection, we examined 44 wild-caught seatrout broodstock maintained in parasite-free water for 2-6 yr. Twenty-five fish served as negative controls (time zero of experiment), and 19 were exposed to water-borne K. inornata infective stages for 18 wk. Over 73% of the exposed fish became infected, compared to ~12% of control fish, indicating that fish were susceptible to re-infection by K. inornata. Whether plasmodia degenerate because K. inornata myxospores have a limited life span or seatrout develop an adaptive immunity against these life stages remains unknown. To test for accumulation of myxospores over time, we compared myxospore densities and intensities between sexes and across ages and sizes of wild seatrout. There was no significant difference in myxospore densities with size, age, or sex. However, intensities increased significantly with increasing fish age and size, indicating accrual of myxospores over time. These results combined with evidence of infection clearance suggest that K. inornata myxospores do not persist but nevertheless accrue in wild seatrout due to continuous contact with infective stages.

Gill parasites can negatively affect hosts by altering behavior or causing adverse effects to host physiology. Most unionid mussel larvae (glochidia) are obligate parasites requiring fish hosts, but much of the literature concerning how these parasites affect their hosts has been limited to only a few study species of salmonids and mussels. Here, we test the effects of natural glochidia infection levels on resting metabolic rate and hypoxia tolerance of bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides using glochidia of the southern fatmucket mussel Lampsilis straminea, a warm-water unionid. We quantified oxygen uptake, hypoxia tolerance, and ability to regulate metabolic rate via respiration rate, critical dissolved oxygen values (DOcrit), and a regulation index (RI), respectively, to compare the effects of glochidia infection between infected and uninfected fish over 11 wk after host inoculation. Hosts were infected with glochidia at levels similar to those seen in wild, naturally occurring infections. At these levels, we observed no effects of glochidia infection on metabolic rate, DOcrit, or RI of infected versus control fish of either species over our 11-wk experiment. Glochidia infection on fish gills at levels expected under field conditions may not always induce an organismal-level (i.e., individual organism) response or cause host respiratory stress. Preventing respiratory stress from infection would be beneficial for both host and parasite, given that glochidia survival and dispersal depend on host survival., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2022.)

Introduction: Copepods of the genus Hatschekia Poche, 1902 are parasitic on the gills of marine actinopterygians. Currently, about 151 species of this genus have been reported in marine ecosystems and only few occur in South Atlantic Ocean., Methods: Fifty specimens of A. virginicus from Angra dos Reis, off the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were parasitized by copepods on the gills. Parasites were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Morphological observations were based on light and scanning electron microscopy., Results: Hatschekia nagasawai n. sp. can be distinguished from all congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) presence of two pointed processes on the proximal (first) segment of antennule, (2) cephalothorax octagonal to ovoid, (3) absence of processes on the intercoxal sclerite of legs 1 and 2, (4) trunk without lobes at the postero-lateral margins. Other species of Hatschekia and their hosts previously collected off Brazil were analysed and discussed., Conclusions: This is the first report of a representative of the family Hatschekiidae Kabata, 1979 parasitizing a species of Anisotremus. The number of species of Hatschekia reported in the South Atlantic Ocean was increased to five, including the new species; however, the diversity of hatschekiid copepods in this oceanographic region is still underestimated, most likely being higher than what is currently known., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Variable platyfish, Xiphophorus variatus (Meek, 1904) (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) and eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 (Poeciliidae) from earthen ponds in west central Florida were examined for parasitic infections. At necropsy, we observed myriad nematodes (adults and eggs), which we identified as Huffmanela cf. huffmani, infecting the swim bladder, gonad, and visceral peritoneum. Nucleotide sequences (small subunit ribosomal DNA, 18S) of H. cf. huffmani from variable platyfish and eastern mosquitofish were identical; likewise for newly obtained 18S sequences of Huffmanela huffmani Moravec, 1987 from the swim bladder of red breast sunfish, Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Centrarchiformes: Centrarchidae) and warmouth, Lepomis gulosus (Cuvier, 1829) from the San Marcos River (type locality for Huffmanela huffmani Moravec, 1987), Texas. The sequences of H. huffmani and H. cf. huffmani differed by 7 (1%) nucleotides. Pathological changes comprised proliferation of the tunica externa of the swim bladder in low-intensity infections in addition to inflammation, proliferation, and tissue necrosis of swim bladder, peritoneum, and gonad in high-intensity infections. The lesion was severe, affecting the cellular constituents of the swim bladder wall and reducing the size of the swim bladder lumen; potentially reducing swim bladder physiological efficiency. The present study is the first record of a freshwater species of Huffmanela Moravec, 1987 from beyond the San Marcos River, first record of a species of Huffmanela from a livebearer, first nucleotide sequences and phylogenetic analysis for Huffmanela, and first evidence that an infection by a species of Huffmanela causes pathological changes that could impact organ function., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Levant Basin is in many ways the world's most invaded marine ecosystem owing to the existence of the man-made Suez Canal. The invasion of free-living organisms through this pathway is increasingly documented and monitored in the past two decades, and their ecological impact recognized. Nonetheless, while tremendous scientific effort is invested in documenting introduced fishes, co-introduction events of these fishes and their parasites have drawn relatively little interest. In our research, we examined the presence of gill parasites (Monogenea) on the invasive narrow barred Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson which has been known in the Mediterranean Sea for 80 years. The gills of S. commerson supported numerous, relatively large monogeneans (Monogenea: Gastrocotylinea), reaching prevalence levels of 100% with a mean intensity of ~ 80 worms per host. Using an integrated molecular and morphological approach, four gastrocotylinean species were identified: Gotocotyla acanthura, Cathucotyle cathuaui, Pricea multae, and Pseudothoracocotyla ovalis. Two species, C. cathuaui and P. ovalis, are reported here for the first time from the Mediterranean. Sequences of the 28S rRNA gene of G. acanthura from native hosts, Pomatomus saltatrix and Trachinotus ovatus, differed from individuals collected from S. commerson by 1.8%. We therefore suggest that the taxonomic status and distribution of G. acanthura should be revisited, and we recommend an integrated approach as essential to accurately detect co-introductions., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The current study provides a morphological and molecular characterization of a new species of Didymodiclinus (Trematoda: Didymozoidae) infecting the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Teleostei: Serranidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 279 dusky grouper specimens were examined for didymozoid gill parasites from the Mediterranean Sea between 1998 and 2020. New species differs from the most similar congeneric species by the rudiments of female reproductive organs in functional male specimens, and the seminal receptacle, Mehlis gland and accessory gland cells in functional female specimens, not observed in Didymodiclinus branchialis (Yamaguti, 1970), Didymodiclinus epinepheli (Abdul-Salam, Sreelatha and Farah, 1990) and Didymodiclinus pacificus (Yamaguti, 1938), respectively. These species are also characterized by their different hosts and location within the host tissues, being from other geographical localities. Moreover, this is the first species reported in E. marginatus from the central and western Mediterranean Sea. Genetic analyses were performed on partial 28S and partial internal transcribed spacer-2 ribosomal RNA regions and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (cox1) gene by polymerase chain reaction. Comparison of genetic sequences of Didymodiclinus marginati n. sp. with the available deposited sequences of 28S revealed that the new isolates cluster with several unidentified didymozoids and groups as a sister clade of the Nematobothrinae subfamily. Moreover, 28S and cox1 phylogenetic trees evidenced that Didymodiclinae is well separated from Didymozoinae and other gonochoric didymozoids. Following both morphological and genetic results, a key of identification for the genus Didymodiclinus is proposed.

Monogeneans Pricea multae naturally infested 42 of the 120 (35%) mackerel fish (Scomberomorus commerson) examined. For the first time, an infestation was discovered off the coast of Jubil in the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia. Based on the structure clarified through light and electron microscopy of mounted specimens and molecular analysis of rDNA and measurements of this monogenean parasite was identified as P. multae. The tegumental surface of the parasite was characterized by tegumental ridges running transversally, generating folds in both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body at regular intervals. The study clarified the importance and function of the micro-structures, such as tegumental folds, perforations, sensory ganglia present on the parasite's surface, and the larger hamulus supported by a relatively unmodified internal spine. This monogenean parasite has adapted to its host infestation site uniquely.

To date, 34 species of the genus Homalometron (Apocreadiidae) have been described; five of them in Mexican fresh or brackish water fish, whereas five have been reported as parasites of members of the fish family Gerreidae. While sampling wildlife vertebrates during a field course of parasitology at the Los Tuxtlas Biological Station (Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) in Veracruz, specimens of digeneans were collected from the intestine of the stripped mojarra, Eugerres plumeri in Sontecomapan Lagoon. Specimens were studied morphologically and molecularly, and we discovered that they represented a new species of Homalometron. The new species is morphologically like the other four congeners in having three pairs of well-developed oral papillae on the oral sucker: Homalometron elongatum ; Homalometron lesliorum ; Homalometron carapavae ; and Homalometron papilliferum . Here, we describe the newly discovered species, increasing our understanding about the parasite diversity of brackish water fishes of Mexico.

The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is an invasive species that has become one of the most abundant fish in the St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada over the past 15 yr. Since its introduction, the round goby has acquired a number of native parasites, yet little is known about the dynamics of parasite recruitment. To examine this question, young-of-the-year and juvenile round gobies were collected monthly from 2 localities in the river (Îles de la Paix, Île Dorval) from June through November 2012. At Îles de la Paix, round gobies (n = 180) were infected with 3 species of parasites, all larval stages (Diplostomum spp., Tylodelphys scheuringi, Neoechinorhynchus tenellus). Prevalence of the digenean Diplostomum spp. varied from 3.3 to 13.3%, and mean abundance from 0.03 to 0.53 from June through September, with a maximum in August. The digenean T. scheuringi was seen only in August, at a prevalence of 10.0% and a mean abundance of 0.53. The acanthocephalan N. tenellus was observed in June, August, and September, prevalence ranging from 3.3 to 10.0% and mean abundance from 0.03 to 0.27. Maximum infection for all 3 species occurred in August. All infected fish were ≥44 mm in total length (TL). Fish infected with more than 1 parasite species were >60 mm TL. No round goby (n = 178) was infected at Île Dorval. This study demonstrated that the invasive round goby starts to acquire parasite infections in the St. Lawrence River in the first year of life and may contribute to the transmission of some parasites within this ecosystem., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2022.)

Monogeneans are highly diverse fish ectoparasites with a direct life cycle, widely distributed, and are known to generally display strict host specificity. Factors related to the hosts and the parasite have been suggested to explain this high specificity. Monogeneans have also been observed to colonise fish species not in their natural host range under experimental conditions. We developed a specific metabarcoding protocol and applied it on the Sparidae-Lamellodiscus host-parasite system, to assess parasite diversity on skin and gills of several sparid host species. We first demonstrated that the use of a metabarcoding approach provided a better understanding of the diversity of monogeneans associated with teleost skin and gills than traditional approaches based on morphological identification. We identified a high diversity of both expected and unexpected (never observed on this host species) Lamellodiscus spp. on each host species and on skin and gills. No significant difference in parasite diversity was found between skin and gills. These results suggest that the establishment of the observed host specificity in monogeneans relies on multiple levels of regulation, involving the survival capacity of the larvae and host recognition mechanisms., (Copyright © 2022 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Metazoan parasite communities can experience temporal structural changes related to seasonal and/or local variations in several biotic and abiotic environmental factors. However, few studies have addressed this issue in tropical regions, where changes in water temperature are less extreme than in temperate regions, so the factors or processes that can generate variations in these parasite communities are as yet unclear. We quantified and analysed the parasite communities of 421 Lutjanus peru (Nichols & Murphy, 1922) collected from Acapulco Bay in Guerrero, Mexico, over a four-year period (August 2018 to April 2021), to identify any interannual variation due to local biotic and abiotic factors influenced by natural oceanographic phenomena, such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or La Niña. Twenty-five metazoan parasite taxa were recovered and identified: seven Digenea species; two Monogenea; one Cestoda; one Acanthocephala; four Nematoda; and ten of Crustacea (seven Copepoda and three Isopoda). The digeneans and copepods were the best represented parasite groups. The parasite communities were characterized by a high numerical dominance of helminth larvae. Species richness at the component community level (13 to 19 species) was similar to reported richness in other Lutjanus spp. The parasite communities of L. peru had a high variability in species composition, but low aggregate variability (e.g. species diversity), suggesting that structure of these communities may be quite stable over time. A clear interannual variation pattern was not observed, suggesting that parasite species of this host may respond differently to variations in environmental factors. Interannual variations were possibly caused by a combination of biotic (i.e. host feeding behaviour and body size) and local abiotic factors (influenced by climatic anomalies) which generated notable changes in the infection levels of several component species.

Silver pomfret Pampus argenteus is a major cultivated marine fish species with a high market value. In summer 2021, Cryptocaryon irritans, a ciliate parasite, infected the cultured silver pomfret in aquaculture ponds in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. The symptoms of infected fish include white spots on the skin and fins, increased body surface mucus, loss of appetite, irritability, and shedding of scales. After collecting white spots from moribund fish, the 18S ribosomal RNA sequence of the pathogen on the fish skin was amplified by PCR; phylogenetic analysis showed that it was closely related to C. irritans strains from Ningde, Fujian, China. Four groups of silver pomfret were tested in an artificial infection experiment over the course of 72 h, consisting of 3 infected groups (1600, 4000, and 8000 theronts fish-1) and 1 healthy group. White spots were observed on the skin and fins of the infected fish, but not on their gills. Samples were taken from the gills, liver, kidney, and spleen of both infected and healthy fish and were compared to evaluate any significant histopathological differences. As the dose of infection increased, symptoms became more pronounced. At 72 h, mortality rates were 8.3, 50, and 66.7% for the 3 different concentrations, respectively. The median lethal concentration was calculated to be 366 theronts g-1 at 72 h, 298 theronts g-1 at 84 h, and 219 theronts g-1 at 96 h. This study emphasizes the importance of developing early diagnosis methods and appropriate prevention strategies to decrease the impact of C. irritans infection in the silver pomfret aquaculture industry.

Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) represent an ongoing ecological threat within temperate and tropical waters. Relatively little is known regarding the overall health of P. volitans and their potential for spreading pathogens in non-native regions. Lionfish collected from inshore reefs of Grenada, West Indies, in 2019 and 2021 were identified as P. volitans based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 barcoding. Gross and microscopic examination of tissues revealed myxozoan plasmodia in the hearts of 24/76 (31.6%) lionfish by histopathology or wet mount cytology. Further histopathologic examination revealed severe granulomatous inflammation and myofiber necrosis associated with developing plasmodia and presporogonic life stages. Fresh myxospores were morphologically and molecularly consistent with Kudoa hypoepicardialis, being quadrate in apical view with 4 valves and 4 equal polar capsules. The spore body was 5.1-7.9 (mean: 6.0) µm long, 8.1-9.8 (8.7) µm wide, and 6.9-8.5 (7.7) µm thick. Polar capsules were 2.3-2.7 (2.5) µm long and 0.9-1.6 (1.3) µm wide. 18S small subunit rDNA sequences were 99.81-99.87% similar to sequence data from the original description of the species. Novel 28S large subunit rDNA and elongation factor 2 data, which did not match any previously reported species, were provided. This is the first account of a myxozoan parasite of P. volitans, a new host record and locality for K. hypoepicardialis, and one of few reports describing pathogen-associated lesions in invasive lionfish.

Members of the order Trypanorhyncha are cestode parasites that are frequently found infecting the muscles of several marine fish species, affecting fish health and resulting in consumers' rejection. Seventy-five specimens of marine fish were freshly caught from boat landing sites at the Alexandria coast along the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, including two Carangids, the greater amberjack Seriola dumerili and the gulley jack Pseudocarans dentex; two Serranids, the Haifa grouper Epinephelus haifensis and the mottled grouper Mycteroperca rubra. Forty-five fish were infected; the infection was recorded as blastocysts embedded in fish flesh. Blastocysts were isolated and ruptured; the generated plerocerci were described morphologically, where, four different species were recovered; Callitetrarhynchus gracilis, Callitetrarhynchus speciosus, Protogrillotia zerbiae, and Grillotia brayi. The taxonomic position of these parasites was justified by multiple-sequence alignment and a phylogenetic tree was constructed following maximum likelihood analysis of the 18s rRNA sequences of the recovered worms. The accession numbers MN625168, MN625169, MN611431and MN611432 were respectively assigned to the recovered parasites. The results obtained from the molecular analyses confirmed the morphological records of the recovered parasites. Since metacestodes are found in the musculature of infected fish specimens, it is necessary to remove these areas in the commercialization of fish.

A total of 802 individuals of Lutjanus guttatus (Steindachner, 1869) specimens were collected over a 10-year period (August 2012 to February 2021) from four locations on the south-central Pacific coast of Mexico. Their parasite communities were quantified and analyzed to determine if they experience significant spatial and inter-annual variations. Thirty-two taxa of metazoan parasite were recovered and identified: four species of Digenea, four Monogenea, one Cestoda, two Acanthocephala, seven Nematoda, one Hirudinea, and nine of Crustacea (six Copepoda, and three Isopoda). Species richness was greatest among the digenean group, which represented 25% of the total species recovered, followed by the nematodes (22% of total species). Species richness at the component community level (10 to 20 species) was similar to reported richness in other Lutjanus spp. The component communities and infracommunities exhibited a similar pattern: low species richness and diversity, and dominance by a single species, mainly the monogenean Haliotrematoides guttati. Parasite community structure and species composition varied through the years, as well as between sampling locations. Variations were possibly caused by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors which generated notable changes in the infection levels of several component species. However, the similarity in the parasite species composition was high locally for short-term periods (one or two years). This result, therefore, suggests that parasite communities of L. guttatus may be more predictable locally, but only for short-term periods., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The parasitic diversity on the intertidal fish of the Southern American Cone is barely known. The present study describes two new parasitic copepod species, a Clavella and a Haemobaphes found on the nototheniid fish Patagonotothen cornucola., Methods: The fish were collected from the intertidal zone of the Strait of Magellan, Southern Chile. The copepods were found on the fins and in the gill chamber of the fish, which were morphologically analyzed using optical and electronic microscopy., Results: Clavella cornucola sp. nov. and Clavella bowmani are similar but differ in the number of setae found on the maxillule (two setae on the inner lobe vs. three on C. bowmani), and a pad of spinules on the dorsal margin as opposed to the outer lobe (no pad vs. one pad, respectively). Haemobaphes puntaarenensis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners based on the lobe shapes of the head and the clear separation between the pedigerous somites (first, second, and third). The maxilla on H. puntaarenensis sp. nov. lacks a pad of spinules on the second segment, but it is found in all the other congeneric species., Conclusion: Clavella cornucola sp. nov. is the 10th species of the genus in Chile, whereas Haemobaphes puntaarenensis sp. nov. is the first species of the genus recorded in Chile and the Southern Cone coasts., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Sunfish (Lepomis spp.) are among the most common piscine inhabitants of freshwater lakes and ponds in North America. Lepomis spp. breed at the same time creating hybrid zones, where genetically distinct populations mate and produce mixed offspring that are sexually viable hybrids. One aspect of hybridization that may have important consequences is parasitism and its patterns of recruitment in the hybrid sunfish. This study investigated these patterns both at the level of the individual parasite species as well as in the parasite communities infecting the fish. Two sample sites possessing hybrid sunfish populations were investigated: 1 system had bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), and their hybrids, while the other system had bluegill sunfish (L. macrochirus), green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), and their hybrids. The hybrids were infected by mostly generalist parasites that commonly infect all Lepomis spp. Most of the individual parasite species followed a dominance pattern (59.1%) of infection, where parasite abundance in hybrids resembled at least one of the parental species, with the remainder exhibiting intermediate levels of parasitism, supporting an additive pattern of parasite recruitment (40.1%). At the community level, the patterns of parasite recruitment differed in L. macrochirus × L. microlophus hybrids, which showed a dominance pattern, and L. macrochirus × L. cyanellus hybrids, which showed an additive pattern of parasite recruitment. These differences in parasite recruitment between hybrid groups may be attributed to varying degrees of dietary and niche overlap between the parental species in the 2 study systems., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2022.)

The protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans is one of the most important ectoparasites of marine fish, causing 'white spot disease' and mass mortality in aquaculture. To accurately predict disease outbreaks and develop prevention strategies, improved detection methods are required that are sensitive, convenient and rapid. In this study, a pair of specific primers based on the C. irritans 18S rRNA gene was developed and used in a real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. This assay was able to detect five theronts in 1 L of natural seawater. Furthermore, a linear model was established to analyse the log of Ct value and parasite abundance in seawater (y = -2.9623x + 24.2930), and the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) value was 0.979. A lysis buffer was optimized for theront DNA extraction and used for storage sample. This method was superior to the commercial water DNA kit, and there was no significant degradation of DNA at room temperature for 24-96 hr. A dilution method was developed to manage qPCR inhibitors and used to investigate natural seawater samples in a net cage farm with diseased fish, and the findings were consistent with the actual situation. This study provides a valuable tool for assisting in the early monitoring and control of cryptocaryoniasis in aquaculture., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Profilin, known as one of the core actin-binding proteins, is an integral part of actin-based cytoskeleton involved in cell motility, cytokinesis, neuronal differentiation, and synaptic plasticity. In this study, a putative profilin gene designated as CiProfilin (GenBank accession number: JX987286) was screened out from a cDNA library of Cryptocaryon irritans trophonts. The full-length cDNA of CiProfilin gene is 582 bp, containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 471 bp, which encodes a polypeptide consisting of 156 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 17.3 kDa. Quantification of CiProfilin mRNA expression by real-time PCR suggested that CiProfilin was expressed in all stages of C. irritans life cycle with a significantly higher level in trophonts. Five non-universal codons (TAAs) coding glutamines (Gln) were found in the ORF and mutated to CAAs (universal codons for Gln) by site-directed mutagenesis. Then the modified ORF was inserted into the plasmid pGEX-4T-1, the recombinant plasmid was subsequently transformed into Escherichia coli. The bacteria were subsequently induced to express the recombinant CiProfilin protein fused with glutathione S transferase (G-rCiProfilin), which was then purified with glutathione sepharose 4B and thrombin cleavage. The molecular weight and the antigenicity of rCiProfilin were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis. The native CiProfilin was found abundant in the peripheral area beneath the cell membrane and around the cytostomes of theronts, suggesting its vital roles in food uptake, stomatogenesis, and parasitic invasion. Co-precipitation assay also revealed the activity of rCiProfilin in actin binding. This study will help further elucidate the specific roles of CiProfilin on the growth of C. irritans and the preliminary mechanism of its invasion to hosts., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cryptocaryon irritans are the main pathogens of white spot disease in marine teleost. However, the occurrence of cryptocaryoniasis is influenced by several abiotic factors including the pH. To explore the effect of pH on the life cycle of C. irritans (encystment, cleavage, and hatchability), protomonts and tomonts of C. irritans were incubated in seawater of 10 different pH levels (2-11). pH 8 was used as the control. The change in morphology and infectivity of theronts that hatched from tomonts against Larimichthys crocea were then recorded. We found that pH 6-9 had no significant effect on the encystment, cleavage, and hatching of the parasites. However, pH beyond this limit decreased the cleavage and hatching of the tomonts. Furthermore, extreme pH decreased the number of theronts hatched by each tomont and the pathogenicity of the theronts, but increased the aspect ratio of the theronts. Infectivity experiments further revealed that extreme pH significantly decreased the infectivity of C. irritans against L. crocea . In conclusion, the C. irritans can survive in pH of 5 to 10, but pH 6-9 is the optimal range for the reproduction and infectivity of C. irritans . However, extreme pH negatively affects these aspects. IMPORTANCE Cryptocaryon irritans is a ciliate parasite that causes "white spot disease" in marine teleosts. The disease outbreak is influenced by hosts and a range of abiotic factors, such as temperature, salinity, and pH. Studies have shown that change in pH of seawater affects the structure (diversity and abundance of marine organisms) of marine ecosystem. However, how pH affects the life cycle and survival of C. irritans , and how future ocean acidification will affect the occurrence of cryptocaryoniasis, are not well understood. In this study, we explored the effect of pH on the formation and hatching of C. irritans tomonts. The findings of this study provide the foundation of the environmental adaptation of C. irritans , the occurrence of cryptocaryoniasis, and better management of marine fish culture.

An integrative study was performed to understand the phylogenetic relationships of an undescribed, freshwater species of microcotylid parasitizing Plagioscion squamosissimus from the Amazon River Basin. Based on morphological and molecular analysis (18S rDNA and partial 28S rDNA genes), a new genus is proposed to accommodate this new species, Pauciconfibuloides amazonica gen. n. sp. n. The new genus is closely related to Protastomicrocotylinae and Pauciconfibula by sharing the vagina, male copulatory organ, and genital atrium all unarmed. However, Pauciconfibuloides gen. n. can be distinguished from those taxa by the prostatic system and position of the vaginal pore. Molecular phylogenetic inference suggests a sister relationship with species of Polylabris (Prostatomicrocotylinae), but to date, there are no available 18S or 28S rDNA sequences of Pauciconfibula to be compared. This is the first report of a microcotylid parasitizing a freshwater sciaenid from South America., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Members of the predominantly coelozioc genus Myxidum Bütschli, 1882 with more than 232 species have been reported from a wide variety of marine and freshwater fish species worldwide. In this study, 25 specimens of peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, were collected from Sinop on the Turkish Black Sea coast. The gills, fins, skin, urinary bladder, gal bladder, kidney, liver, gonads and smooth muscle tissue of the collected samples were investigated for myxosporean parasites. Myxidium parvum Yurakhno, 1991 was the only myxosporean found in the gall bladder of host fishes. Based on spore morphology, M. parvum had mostly overlapping measurement data of original description in spore length and width, polar capsule length but differed slightly in width; however, they were within the ranges previously reported from other blenniid host fish species in the Black Sea. Moreover, in this study, molecular analysis of the 18S rDNA gene of M. parvum isolates from S. pavo was done for the first time and our M. parvum genotypes appeared as sister to Myxidium incurvatum within the "Lineage II" of the marine Myxidium clade., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Studies of parasite communities and patterns in the Antarctic are an important knowledge base with the potential to track shifts in ecological relations and study the effects of climate change on host-parasite systems. Endemic Nototheniinae is the dominant fish group found in Antarctic marine habitats. Through their intermediate position within the food web, Nototheniinae link lower to higher trophic levels and thereby also form an important component of parasite life cycles. The study was set out to gain insight into the parasite fauna of Nototheniops larseni, N. nudifrons and Lepidonotothen squamifrons (Nototheniinae) from Elephant Island (Antarctica)., Methods: Sampling was conducted at three locations around Elephant Island during the ANT-XXVIII/4 expedition of the research vessel Polarstern. The parasite fauna of three Nototheniine species was analysed, and findings were compared to previous parasitological and ecological research collated from a literature review., Results: All host species shared the parasites Neolebouria antarctica (Digenea), Corynosoma bullosum (Acanthocephala) and Pseudoterranova decipiens E (Nematoda). Other parasite taxa were exclusive to one host species in this study. Nototheniops nudifrons was infected by Ascarophis nototheniae (Nematoda), occasional infections of N. larseni with Echinorhynchus petrotschenkoi (Acanthocephala) and L. squamifrons with Elytrophalloides oatesi (Digenea) and larval tetraphyllidean Cestoda were detected., Conclusion: All examined fish species' parasites were predominantly euryxenous regarding their fish hosts. The infection of Lepidonotothen squamifrons with Lepidapedon garrardi (Digenea) and Nototheniops larseni with Echinorhynchus petrotschenkoi represent new host records. Despite the challenges and limited opportunities for fishing in remote areas, future studies should continue sampling on a more regular basis and include a larger number of fish species and sampling sites within different habitats., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. is described from the gall bladder of the goby Gobioides grahamae (Gobiidae) captured on the Paracauari River in Salvaterra, on Marajó Island, northern Brazil. A total of 50 G. grahamae specimens were analysed, and 15 (30%) were parasitised by the plasmodia and myxospore of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. Large plasmodia were observed floating in the bile. These plasmodia were flat, rounded, oval or elongated, and of varying sizes. The mature myxospores, found singly or in pairs, were 27.1 ± 2.7 (20.5-30.1) μm Length and 3.8 ± 0.2 (3.5-4.4) μm Width in the valvular view. The myxospore has two polar capsules of equal size, 8.1 ± 0.6 (7.4-9.4) μm in length and 2.9 ± 0.2 (2.3-3.3) μm in width. A polar tubule was observed in each capsule, arranged perpendicularly to the principal axis, with three or four coils. The histological analysis showed that the plasmodia and myxospore are located in the lumen of the gall bladder, arranged in pairs, and the epithelium of the gall bladder presented multifocal necrosis. The SSU rDNA of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. clusters in the 'balbianii' group of the Sphaeromyxa clade. The morphological characteristics and molecular phylogeny of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. support its classification as a new species of the genus Sphaeromyxa, which represents an important advancement in the understanding of the diversity of the myxozoan parasite fauna of Brazilian fishes, especially considering that the new species may be detrimental to the host, a commercially important Brazilian fish species., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The family Plectanocotylidae includes parasites of the gills of marine fish; although nine genera and about 20 species have been described, almost no molecular information is available. Putting aside Plectanocotyle elliptica Diesing, 1850, supposedly a parasite of the white perch Morone americana , never found again since its original description, two species were valid within Plectanocotyle Diesing, 1850 before this work: Plectanocotyle gurnardi (Van Beneden & Hesse, 1863) Llewellyn, 1941 and Plectanocotyle major Boudaya, Neifar & Euzet, 2006., Methods: In this paper, we describe the third species of the genus Plectanocotyle and perform a comparative morphological and molecular analysis of the three species and of Triglicola obscura (Euzet & Suriano, 1974) Mamaev, 1976. Host fishes were also barcoded (COI) for confirmation of host identifications., Results: Plectanocotyle lastovizae n. sp. is described from the gills of the streaked gurnard Chelidonichthys lastoviza collected off Algeria. The species is compared with specimens of Plectanocotyle cf. gurnardi (from C. lastoviza ) from the same locality and P. major and T. obscura (both from the longfin gurnard C. obscurus ). Molecules from Plectanocotyle cf. gurnardi could not be compared with P. gurnardi from the type-host and type-locality and we kept the status of the Mediterranean specimens as pending. Algeria is a new geographic record for P. major and T. obscura . Plectanocotyle lastovizae n. sp. is distinguished from the other species found in the Mediterranean by the measurements of clamps, number of testes, and COI sequences, with notable divergence (7.8-11.8%) from the other two species of the genus., Discussion: We briefly present a list of currently known members of the family Plectanocotylidae, their biology and their hosts., Competing Interests: Jean-Lou Justine is an Academic Editor for PeerJ. The authors declare that they have no other competing interests., (© 2022 Ayadi et al.)