Diversity of Microcotylids (Polyopisthocotyla) in Western Mediterranean fish: description and taxonomy
- Autores: María Víllora Montero
- Directores de la Tesis: Ana Pérez del Olmo (dir. tes.), Francisco Esteban Montero Royo (codir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universitat de València ( España ) en 2024
- Idioma: inglés
- Número de páginas: 260
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Paolo Merella (presid.), Aigües Repullés Albelda (secret.), Jesús Servando Hernández Orts (voc.)
- Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva por la Universitat de València (Estudi General)
- Materias:
- Enlaces
- Tesis en acceso abierto en: RODERIC
- Resumen
A total of 1642 fishes (1438 fishes of 17 species of Sparidae and 204 of four species of Scorpaenoidei) have been examined for microcotylid infections, collected in different localities of the Spanish coast from 2012 to 2023. The diversity of the Microcotylidae in Western Mediterranean sparids is high as evidenced by the 13 species of seven genera described from 15 of the 17 species of sparid hosts examined. The morphology of the Microcotylidae species from the Western Mediterranean herein studied is, in general, congruent with previous descriptions, except for the number of clamps, which in many previous studies is excessively low. Despite the diagnostic value of this morphological feature, it should be considered with great caution, selecting mature and well-preserved adult specimens. The species of Bivagina have one vaginal pore and not two, as the original description indicates. The vaginal pore in these species is single and dorsal, with two dorsal and protrusible perivaginal arms, which have been usually mistaken for vaginal suckers because of their appearance when invaginated. The species of the Microcotylidae infecting sparids are not species-specific, although all parasite species recovered have only been reported in sparid fishes. In this study the main sparid host species in the Western Mediterranean for microcotylid species has been stablished and the seasonal effect has been assessed. New morphological approaches and classification tools for discrimination of Microcotylidae species, combined with molecular studies, are proposed: presence of anterior and posterior haptoral lobes; presence of prehaptoral peduncle; clamp sclerite width; size and shape of spines of the genital atrium; extension of the posterior ends of the vitelline fields; and shape of egg filaments. Two new species have been described Microcotyle whittingtoni Víllora-Montero, Pérez-del-Olmo, Georgieva, Raga & Montero 2020 in Dentex dentex from the Western Mediterranean and Microcotyle merche Víllora-Montero, Pérez-del-Olmo, Valmaseda-Angulo, Raga & Montero 2023 in Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809) from the North-East Atlantic and Western Mediterranean. This study has also contributed to define and/or shorten some of the diagnostic quantitative morphological ranges for three species: Microcotyle erythrini Van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 (s.s), Microcotyle isyebi Bouguerche, Gey, Justine & Tazerouti, 2019, and Microcotyle algeriensis Ayadi, Gey, Justine & Tazerouti, 2016. A new methodology for digital drawing of helminths, Yamagu-Tips, has been proposed. This technique allows to represent accurately external and internal organs with realistic volumes throughout automated and repeatable software routines. The method allows the draftsman to make decisions about the appearance of the organisms by deciding each degree of stippling and transparency.
