DNA taxonomy and barcoding use nucleotide sequence data to achieve comprehensive species descriptions that facilitate reliable species diagnostics and rapid assessment of biodiversity, both of which are of great importance for parasitologists. Such molecular approaches have been applied to the monogenean genus Gyrodactylus, in particular to G. salaris, the cause of serious gyrodactylosis on Atl...

In parasites, environmental cues may influence hatching of eggs and enhance the success of infections. The two major endoparasitic groups of parasitic platyhelminths, cestodes (tapeworms) and digeneans (flukes), typically have high fecundity, infect more than one host species, and transmit trophically. Monogeneans are parasitic flatworms that are among the most host specific of all parasites. M...

Monogenea is one of the most species-rich groups of parasitic flatworms worldwide with many species described from African freshwater fish. Little is known about the diversity and geographic distribution of monogenean parasites infesting the Red Sea fishes in Egypt. In the present study, a total of 45 specimens of the brushtooth lizardfish Saurida undosquamis (family: Synodontidae) and...

Species identification Gyrodactylids are ubiquitous monogenean ectoparasites on the skin and gills of teleost fish both in marine and freshwater ecosystems. The most recent species compilation lists some 400 gyrodactylid species. Gyrodactylus salaris is a species of this genus found on fins and skin of Atlantic and Baltic salmon in its freshwater phase (Figure 1). The small (0.5 1 mm) parasite ...

A new species of Kritskyia inhabits the urinary bladder of the "curimba", Prochilodus lineatus in the floodplain of the high Paraná river. The new species resembles others members of Kritskyia in the following features: haptor lacking anchors and with 14 hooks marginal, posterior male copulatory organ non articulated with the accessory piece and vagina a sclerotized tube. However, it differs fr...

We present the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Gyrodactylus thymalli, a monogenean ectoparasite on grayling (Thymallus thymallus). The circular genome is 14788 bp in size and includes all 35 genes recognized from other flatworm mt genomes. The overall A+T content of the mt genome is 62.8%. Twenty regions of non-coding DNA ranging from 1 to 111 bp in length were identified in addition to 2...