A new species of Gyrodactylus (Monogenea, Gyrodactylidae), an ectoparasite from the endemic Iranocichla hormuzensis (Teleostei, Cichlidae), the only Iranian cichlid

Abstract

Abstract. Iranocichla hormuzensis occupies a biogeographically peculiar position. This endemic of southern Iran is the only Iranian cichlid. While it is phylogenetically related to African oreochromine members of the cichlid family, it remains unclear how it has dispersed into its current range. It is one of the many lasting enigmas of cichlid biogeography. Monogenean fish parasites may provide useful additional information in such cases. Therefore, I. hormuzensis was examined for these flatworms. A gyrodactylid parasite is reported and compared to congeners from the Palearctic and from cichlids. In this way, we verify whether it shows affinities to parasites from fishes that are either biogeographically or phylogenetically close to Iranocichla hormuzensis. The species is new to science and is described as Gyrodactylus jalalii sp. nov. This is the first description of a parasite infecting I. hormuzensis. Because of the fixation method or age of the material, DNA could not be isolated. Due to the lack of genetic data, no conclusions can be drawn on its phylogenetic positioning. Indeed, Gyrodactylus phylogeny cannot be R e s e a r c h a r t i c l eurn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:489A6BC2-795C-4945-A642-440D4F92A126 1 inferred from morphological characteristics alone. Moreover, the congeners phenotypically reminiscent of the new species belong to a Gyrodactylus clade which is highly diverse in geographic range and host choice. Hence, there is no evidence linking the new species to an exclusively African or cichlid-bound Gyrodactylus lineage.

Diversity and Phylogeny of Gyrodactylus spp. (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) across the Strait of Gibraltar: Parasite Speciation and Historical Biogeography of West Mediterranean Cyprinid Hosts

“…Gyrodactylus, a cosmopolitan and hyper-diverse genus with an estimated 20,000 species worldwide [23], is one of the most valuable model organisms with respect to investigating continental affinities due to its high ability to switch hosts, a scenario which, however, considerably reduces its usefulness in studying phylogenetic inter-host relationships [24]. Nevertheless, with regards to the time scale and the dispersion routes of the hosts studied, Gyrodactylus monogeneans may provide information on the historical dispersion and/or contemporary contacts of their hosts due to host-switch [25]. Recently, gill-specific monogeneans of the genus Dactylogyrus Diesing, 1850 (Dactylogyridae) parasitizing cyprinoids have been applied to infer the historical biogeographical contacts of their hosts on the intercontinental scale [26][27][28], while Gyrodactylus have received less attention in this regard (e.g., [25]).…”

“…Nevertheless, with regards to the time scale and the dispersion routes of the hosts studied, Gyrodactylus monogeneans may provide information on the historical dispersion and/or contemporary contacts of their hosts due to host-switch [25]. Recently, gill-specific monogeneans of the genus Dactylogyrus Diesing, 1850 (Dactylogyridae) parasitizing cyprinoids have been applied to infer the historical biogeographical contacts of their hosts on the intercontinental scale [26][27][28], while Gyrodactylus have received less attention in this regard (e.g., [25]). With respect to Gyrodactylus, the limited number of parasitological surveys, especially in the West Mediterranean area, and the still ambiguous taxonomical status of many fish species in this region suggest the presence of much higher-than-expected diversity regarding species number, morphology, and genetics.…”