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Boukadoum A, Tazerouti F. Digenea community structure of the Salema, Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei, Sparidae), from the Central coast of Algeria. Helminthologia 2024; 61:59-75. [PMID: 38659470 PMCID: PMC11038246 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2024-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The main goal of the current work was to describe and analyse the Digenean community structure in Sarpa salpa. A total of 114 specimens of S. salpa were collected from the Central Coast of Algeria at six localities. The fish were immediately transported to the laboratory to be examined for digeneans. From 107 of the 114 S. salpa examined, a total of 8,722 specimens of seven species belonging to three families were recovered. Among them, Robphildollfusium fractum and Mesometra orbicularis were the most prevalent and abundant species. Moreover, Lepocreadium album was found for the first time in S. salpa from the coast of Algeria, and Centroderma spinosissima and Wardula capitellata represent new parasites to the Algerian digenean fauna that infect teleost fish. The component community of these Digeneans is characterised by R. fractum as its dominant species representing 62% of the total number of collected Digeneans, as well by a Shannon diversity index (H') and Dominance Simpson index (D) of 1.03 and 2.23, respectively. According to Spearman's correlation test, Mesometra brachycoelia and W. capitellata were negatively correlated to the host biological factors. On the other hand, R. fractum showed a positive correlation between its mean abundance and the total length of the fish. With these findings, we provided the component structure of the Digenean fauna of S. salpa and highlighted their diversity, contributing to the biodiversity of the parasitic Platyhelminthes in Algeria.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Boukadoum
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (U.S.T.H.B), Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Département Écologie et Environnement, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement, Interactions - Génomes, BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie
| | - F. Tazerouti
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (U.S.T.H.B), Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Département Écologie et Environnement, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement, Interactions - Génomes, BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie
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Plaksina MP, Dmitrieva EV, Dvoretsky AG. Helminth Communities of Common Fish Species in the Coastal Zone off Crimea: Species Composition, Diversity, and Structure. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030478. [PMID: 36979169 PMCID: PMC10045640 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we analyzed the diversity and structure of helminth communities of 12 common fish species from the coastal zone of Crimea. A total of 53 helminth species were found. The total number of parasite species per host fish ranged from 3 to 18. Species richness at the infracommunity and component community levels were from 1.4-4.2 to 1.7-7, respectively. The Brillouin index for the infracommunites was 0.1-1, while the Shannon index for the component communities was 0.3-1.2. Component communities demonstrated a bi- or tri-modal distribution of the parasite prevalence and positive correlations between the prevalence and log-transformed abundance indices, thus following the "core-satellite" conception. Overall, the prevalence and abundance index of the dominant parasite in the component communities ranged from 18 to 80% and from 0.6 to 61.5 ind. per fish, respectively. The structure of the helminth component communities demonstrated good accordance with the nestedness mode where the rarest species occurred in the most diverse infracommunities, while the poorest infracommunities were composed of a few dominating species. More than two-thirds of the studied helminth species had an aggregated distribution indicating well-structured and developed communities. Our data provide a basis for further research and may be used for fish resource monitoring and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P Plaksina
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MMBI RAS), 183010 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Evgenija V Dmitrieva
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander G Dvoretsky
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MMBI RAS), 183010 Murmansk, Russia
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Erasmus A, Wepener V, Hadfield KA, Sures B, Smit NJ. Metazoan parasite diversity of the endemic South African intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus: Factors influencing parasite community composition. Parasitol Int 2022; 90:102611. [PMID: 35750274 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Erasmus
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
| | - Victor Wepener
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Kerry A Hadfield
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Bernd Sures
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Nico J Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
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Lablack L, Marzoug D, Bouderbala M, Salgado-Maldonado G. Diversity, consistency, and seasonality in parasite assemblages of two sympatric marine fish Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pagellus bogaraveo (Brünnich, 1768) (Perciformes: Sparidae) off the coast of Algeria in the western Mediterranean Sea. Parasitol Int 2021; 86:102486. [PMID: 34710618 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Various host characteristics (i. e., feeding habits, geographic distribution) and habitat characteristics (i.e., seasonality) influence the structure of parasite assemblages. To compare the parasite assemblages of hosts representatives of two genera of the same fish family, simultaneously occupying a geographic region, and to examine if seasonal variations influence parasite occurrence and abundance, we examined the parasite assemblages of two sympatric marine fish, Pagrus pagrus (n = 308) and Pagellus bogaraveo (n = 315) off the coast of Algeria in the western Mediterranean. Specimens were collected during summer and autumn over three consecutive years (2014-2016). Parasite assemblages were high in species richness and abundance. We compiled an inventory of 40 parasite taxa, including ectoparasitic monogeneans and crustaceans, and endoparasitic trematodes, cestodes, acanthocephalans, and nematodes. Endoparasite taxa primarily consisted of adult gastro-intestinal parasites and long lived larval helminths. Information on the parasite community structure and seasonal variations in parasite populations of these two hosts from the Mediterranean is here provided. Observed patterns of composition, diversity, dominance, and similarity indicate an overall consistency in assemblage structure. Although each host species harbored distinct parasite communities, they shared a high proportion of parasite species suggesting similar use of a common local pool of parasites. However, most shared species did not contribute to structuring the assemblages. Seasonal patterns in parasite abundance were observed for both hosts, with peak prevalence, abundance, and diversity in autumn. Results suggest that, regardless of a common pool of parasites being available to sympatric species, several ecological filters over time, led to distinct, independent variations in the parasite assemblages in each species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamia Lablack
- Université Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département de Biologie, Laboratoire Réseau de Surveillance Environnementale, 31000 Oran, Algeria
| | - Douniazed Marzoug
- Université Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département de Biologie, Laboratoire Réseau de Surveillance Environnementale, 31000 Oran, Algeria
| | - Mohamed Bouderbala
- Université Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Département de Biologie, Laboratoire Réseau de Surveillance Environnementale, 31000 Oran, Algeria
| | - Guillermo Salgado-Maldonado
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Laboratorio de Helmintología, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Bouguerche C, Tazerouti F, Gey D, Justine JL. Triple barcoding for a hyperparasite, its parasitic host, and the host itself: a study of Cyclocotyla bellones (Monogenea) on Ceratothoa parallela (Isopoda) on Boops boops (Teleostei). Parasite 2021; 28:49. [PMID: 34096866 PMCID: PMC8183466 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2021044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclocotyla bellones Otto, 1823 (Diclidophoridae) is a monogenean characterised by an exceptional way of life. It is a hyperparasite that attaches itself to the dorsal face of isopods, themselves parasites in the buccal cavity of fishes. In this study, Cy. bellones was found on Ceratothoa parallela (Otto, 1828), a cymothoid isopod parasite of the sparid fish Boops boops off Algeria in the Mediterranean Sea. We provide, for the first time, molecular barcoding information of a hyperparasitic monogenean, the parasitic crustacean host, and the fish host, with COI sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chahinez Bouguerche
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement : Interactions – Génomes BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Algiers Algeria
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles 43 rue Cuvier CP 51 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
| | - Fadila Tazerouti
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement : Interactions – Génomes BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Algiers Algeria
| | - Delphine Gey
- Service de Systématique moléculaire, UMS 2700 CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités 43 rue Cuvier CP 26 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
- UMR7245 MCAM, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 43 rue Cuvier CP 52 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
| | - Jean-Lou Justine
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles 43 rue Cuvier CP 51 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
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Bouguerche C, Tazerouti F, Justine JL. Four polyopisthocotyleans (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) from carangid fishes in the Mediterranean, off the Algerian coasts. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2021; 1:100026. [PMID: 35284877 PMCID: PMC8906083 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Four polyopisthocotyleans were collected from the gill filaments of carangids from off the Algerian coast, southern Mediterranean. Specimens of Gastrocotyle trachuri van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 (Gastrocotylidae) and Cemocotyle cf. trachuri Dillon & Hargis, 1965 (Heteraxinidae) from the Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner), Zeuxapta seriolae (Meserve, 1938) (Heteraxinidae) from the greater amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso) and Pyragraphorus hollisae Euzet & Ktari, 1970 (Pyragraphoridae) from the pompano Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus) are redescribed based on newly collected specimens. Their taxonomically important morphological features (male copulatory organ and clamp sclerites) are described and illustrated, and the morphometric variation between Mediterranean and oceanic specimens is highlighted. Careful examination of the specimens of Cemocotyle Sproston, 1946 from the Mediterranean revealed that they exhibited unusual features compared with Cemocotyle trachuri Dillon & Hargis, 1965 from the Pacific, mainly the absence of the terminal lappet, thus questioning previous records of this species in the Mediterranean. New geographical locality records are provided for Z. seriolae and P. hollisae. The presence of C. cf. trachuri and Z. seriolae in the Mediterranean is noteworthy as these monogeneans were initially described in the Pacific Ocean. This study extends the geographical range of Z. seriolae to the southern Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chahinez Bouguerche
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement: Interactions - Génomes, BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algeria
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fadila Tazerouti
- Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement: Interactions - Génomes, BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algeria
| | - Jean-Lou Justine
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005 Paris, France
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Bouguerche C, Tazerouti F, Gey D, Justine JL. No vagina, one vagina, or multiple vaginae? An integrative study of Pseudaxine trachuri (Monogenea, Gastrocotylidae) leads to a better understanding of the systematics of Pseudaxine and related genera. Parasite 2020; 27:50. [PMID: 32808922 PMCID: PMC7433403 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2020046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence/absence and number of vaginae is a major characteristic for the systematics of the Monogenea. Three gastrocotylid genera share similar morphology and anatomy but are distinguished by this character: Pseudaxine Parona & Perugia, 1890 has no vagina, Allogastrocotyle Nasir & Fuentes Zambrano, 1983 has two vaginae, and Pseudaxinoides Lebedev, 1968 has multiple vaginae. In the course of a study of Pseudaxine trachuri Parona & Perugia 1890, we found specimens with structures resembling "multiple vaginae"; we compared them with specimens without vaginae in terms of both morphology and molecular characterisitics (COI barcode), and found that they belonged to the same species. We also investigated the male copulatory organ (MCO) of this species, the accuracy of the original description of which is known to be a matter of debate. We found that the genital atrium is armed with 12 hooks arranged as a single circle and a central hollow stylet which is probably involved in traumatic insemination. We redescribed Pseudaxine trachuri based on newly collected specimens from off the coast of Algeria and Museum specimens from off France. Specimens from the type-host, Trachurus trachurus, were found to be similar, for both molecular sequences and morphology, to those found on Boops boops. We can therefore confirm, for the first time with molecular evidence, that B. boops is a host of this parasite. We consider that Pseudaxinoides was erected on the basis of an erroneous interpretation of structures which are not vaginae and, consequently, propose the transfer of most of its species to Pseudaxine, as P. australis (Lebedev, 1968) n. comb., P. bychowskyi (Lebedev, 1977) n. comb., P. caballeroi (Lebedev, 1977) n. comb., P. cariacoensis (Nasir & Fuentes-Zambrano, 1983) n. comb., and P. vietnamensis (Lebedev, Parukhin & Roitman, 1970) n. comb. We also propose Allogastrocotyle dillonhargisorum nom. nov. for Pseudaxine bivaginalis Dillon & Hargis, 1965 to avoid a secondary homonymy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chahinez Bouguerche
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Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement: Interactions – Génomes BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar 16111 Alger Algérie
| | - Fadila Tazerouti
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Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement: Interactions – Génomes BP 32, El Alia Bab Ezzouar 16111 Alger Algérie
| | - Delphine Gey
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Service de Systématique Moléculaire, UMS 2700 CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités 43 Rue Cuvier, CP 26 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
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UMR7245 MCAM, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 61, Rue Buffon, CP52 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
| | - Jean-Lou Justine
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Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles 57 Rue Cuvier, CP 51 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
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Carrassón M, Dallarés S, Cartes JE, Constenla M, Pérez-Del-Olmo A, Zucca L, Kostadinova A. Drivers of parasite community structure in fishes of the continental shelf of the Western Mediterranean: the importance of host phylogeny and autecological traits. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:669-683. [PMID: 31228422 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We explored the relationships between features of host species and their environment, and the diversity, composition and structure of parasite faunas and communities using a large taxonomically consistent dataset of host-parasite associations and host-prey associations, and original environmental and host trait data (diet, trophic level, population density and habitat depth vagility) for the most abundant demersal fish species off the Catalonian coast of the Western Mediterranean. Altogether 98 species/taxa belonging to seven major parasite groups were recovered in 683 fish belonging to 10 species from seven families and four orders. Our analyses revealed that (i) the parasite fauna of the region is rich and dominated by digeneans; (ii) the host parasite faunas and communities exhibited wide variations in richness, abundance and similarity due to a strong phylogenetic component; (iii) the levels of host sharing were low and involved host generalists and larval parasites; (iv) the multivariate similarity pattern of prey samples showed significant associations with hosts and host trophic guilds; (v) prey compositional similarity was not associated with the similarity of trophically transmitted parasite assemblages; and (vi) phylogeny and fish autecological traits were the best predictors of parasite community metrics in the host-parasite system studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Carrassón
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Sara Dallarés
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan E Cartes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Constenla
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Pérez-Del-Olmo
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Científic, Universitat de València, PO Box 22085, Valencia 46071, Spain
| | - Leda Zucca
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aneta Kostadinova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Towards the resolution of the Microcotyle erythrini species complex: description of Microcotyle isyebi n. sp. (Monogenea, Microcotylidae) from Boops boops (Teleostei, Sparidae) off the Algerian coast. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:1417-1428. [PMID: 30915549 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06293-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The monogenean Microcotyle erythrini is atypical because it has been recorded from several fish host species in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, in contrast to many species which are considered strictly specific. This could indicate a true lack of specificity or that several cryptic species are involved. This paper is a partial attempt to solve this problem. Specimens of a monogenean resembling M. erythrini were collected from bogues, Boops boops, caught off Algeria. A comparison with published descriptions and with museum specimens of M. erythrini did not yield any clear morphological difference. However, sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) differed by 16.3% from that of M. erythrini (from GenBank, material collected from the type-host Pagellus erythrinus), indicating that the species was different. The species from B. boops is therefore described here as Microcotyle isyebi n. sp. and differential diagnoses with Microcotyle species from the Mediterranean and from sparids are provided. These results suggest that a molecular re-evaluation of other M. erythrini-like specimens from various fish hosts could reveal the existence of additional parasite biodiversity.
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