Morphological and molecular characterization of the monogenean gill parasite, Acleotrema maculatus, infecting Argyrops filamentosus fish in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Fish are considered one of the important sources protein which invaded by different parasites. This study aimed to shed light on monogenean parasites that infect fish within family Sparidae in Saudi Arabia. A total 30 Argyrops filamentosus specimens were collected from Red Sea, city Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), and then examined for presence Parasitic species isolated studied morphologically using microscopic examination molecularly via partial sequencing 28S rRNA gene. Only a parasitic has been identified. parasite is morphometric compatible with previously Acleotrema maculatus Morsy, El-Fayoumi & Fahmy (2014), identified Plectropomus Egypt. Phylogeny revealed this putative diplectanid nested well clade clustering Diplectanidae species, along morphological data, suggests it member genus Acleotrema. Query sequences showed identities 98.92% (AF026118.1) sp. reflects first account as endoparasite taxa sparid fish, providing novel DNA data species.