Special Issue "New Insights on the Taxonomy of Parasites in Aquatic Animals"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021).

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monica Caffara
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Interests: morphological and molecular studies on trematoda of the family clinostomidae; fishborne zoonotic parasites with particular reference to the molecular identifications; cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis in farmed fish
Dr. Perla Tedesco
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Interests: parasitic infections in wild and farmed aquatic animals; characterization of parasitic stages with morphological and molecular methods; definition of pathogenic effects on the host; ecology of marine parasites; aquatic oomycetes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parasites are ubiquitous in both farmed and wild aquatic animals. While in aquaculture, many aspects of the biology and ecology of the parasite species involved are well known, our knowledge of parasitic infections in the wild is limited. This is particularly true for less studied taxa that affect the productivity and marketability of fish stocks and the conservation of invertebrate and vertebrate host species inhabiting marine and freshwater environments.

The integration of molecular biology techniques with traditional morphometric approaches has led researchers to question several aspects in taxonomic studies, with particular reference to the species showing similar morphological traits, allowing to avoid misidentifications and to elucidate the lifecycle of several taxa, particularly those with still unknown developmental stages.

Improved knowledge in aquatic parasitology coupled with the application of ecological modeling can help to address current questions regarding the role of parasitic agents in the ecosystems and will assist policymakers in correct management of the aquatic environment.

Dr. Monica Caffara
Dr. Perla Tedesco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • parasites
  • aquatic animals
  • marine and freshwater environments
  • systematic
  • taxonomy
  • phylogeny
  • evolution

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Communication
Choniomyzon taiwanensis n. sp. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Nicothoidae) Parasitic on the External Egg Mass of the Longlegged Spiny Lobster Panulirus longipes longipes (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palinuridae) from Taiwanese Waters
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2475; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082475 - 23 Aug 2021
Viewed by 308
Abstract
Choniomyzon taiwanensis n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from examining external egg masses of spiny lobster Panulirus longipes longipes (Milne-Edwards, 1868), obtained from Hualien, Taiwan. The new species differs from its congeners in possessing the following characteristics: (1) small prosome (about [...] Read more.
Choniomyzon taiwanensis n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from examining external egg masses of spiny lobster Panulirus longipes longipes (Milne-Edwards, 1868), obtained from Hualien, Taiwan. The new species differs from its congeners in possessing the following characteristics: (1) small prosome (about 0.84 mm); (2) armature of antennule being 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1+1 (aesthetasc), 4, 6+1 (aesthetasc); (3) five-segmented antenna; (4) second segment of antenna bearing 1 inner seta; (5) two-segmented maxilla. Based on the evidence of distinctive morphological features and host preference, Choniomyzon taiwanensis n. sp. is a new species. Until now, four species of Choniomyzon have been known living on decapods, and the new species reported here is the first record of Choniomyzon species from spiny lobster in Taiwanese waters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights on the Taxonomy of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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Article
Hybrid Genotype of Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii Identified in Third- and Fourth-Stage Larvae from Sympatric and Allopatric Spanish Marine Waters
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2458; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082458 - 21 Aug 2021
Viewed by 369
Abstract
The sibling species Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and Anisakis pegreffii are parasites of marine mammals and fish worldwide and the main causative agents of human anisakiasis. In sympatric areas, a hybrid genotype between the two species has been identified, mainly in third-stage larvae, but [...] Read more.
The sibling species Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and Anisakis pegreffii are parasites of marine mammals and fish worldwide and the main causative agents of human anisakiasis. In sympatric areas, a hybrid genotype between the two species has been identified, mainly in third-stage larvae, but rarely in fourth-stage and adult forms. The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of hybrid genotypes in larvae parasitizing fish caught in sympatric and allopatric Spanish marine waters, the North-East Atlantic and West Mediterranean, respectively, and to study possible differences in the growth behaviour between genotypes. Of the 254 molecularly analysed larvae, 18 were identified as hybrids by PCR-RFLP analysis of the rDNA ITS region, 11 of which were subsequently confirmed by EF1 α-1 nDNA gene sequencing. These results therefore indicate an overestimation of hybrid genotypes when identification is based only on the ITS region. We also report the detection of a hybrid specimen in a host from the West Mediterranean, considered an allopatric zone. Additionally, fourth-stage larvae with a hybrid genotype were obtained in vitro for the first time, and no differences were observed in their growth behaviour compared to larvae with A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii genotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights on the Taxonomy of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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Article
Metacestodes of Elasmobranch Tapeworms in Octopus vulgaris (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) from Central Mediterranean—SEM and Molecular Data
Animals 2020, 10(11), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10112038 - 04 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 709
Abstract
Cephalopods are intermediate/paratenic hosts in the life cycle of elasmobranch tapeworms, nevertheless most records of infection in this group of mollusks are outdated and fragmentary. The present work aimed to investigate the cestode fauna of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris from the Tyrrhenian [...] Read more.
Cephalopods are intermediate/paratenic hosts in the life cycle of elasmobranch tapeworms, nevertheless most records of infection in this group of mollusks are outdated and fragmentary. The present work aimed to investigate the cestode fauna of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Central Mediterranean). The parasitic stages were characterized by light and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and sequencing of 28S rDNA. Three cestode taxa were identified to the genus level: the onchoproteocephalidean Acanthobothrium sp. (prevalence 28%), the “tetraphyllidean” Anthobothrium sp. (prevalence 13%) and the trypanorhynch Nybelinia sp. (prevalence 3%). The remarkable prevalence observed for gastrointestinal cestodes highlight a possible important role of O. vulgaris in the transmission of elasmobranch tapeworms, particularly Onchoproteocephalideans. Furthermore, the present work provides, for the first time, detailed morphological (SEM) and molecular support to confirm the occurrence of Anthobothrium sp. in cephalopod hosts. In order to gain higher taxonomic resolution for the identified taxa, we stress the need to collect further morphological and molecular data of adult cestodes infecting their elasmobranch definitive hosts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights on the Taxonomy of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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