Thaparocleidus devraji (Gusev, 1976) Lim, 1996, Infesting Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794) (Siluriformes: Siluridae): Morphological and Molecular Study

Abstract

Thaparocleidus devraji [8,12] from Ompok malabaricus [27] was established by Gusev [8]. However, its description was based only on the hard parts. On a careful examination of its live specimens from an additional host and a new locality i.e. river Gomti of Lucknow, structural details of the parasite were added, including its egg. Furthermore, phylogenetic relationship was also established with other Indian species of this genus using Urocleidus similis and Ancyrocephalus paradoxus included in an out group. Sequence analysis of partial 28S rDNA had been done using Minimum evolution (ME), Neighbour-joining (NJ) and UPGMA method of MEGA 5 (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis-5, Tamura et al. [20]). Furthermore, secondary RNA structure, centroid structure, ss-count, energy dot plot and motif identification had been done, along with GC calculation (for conservedness). All the species of this genus under study, had been found morphologically distinct (reproductive and haptoral armature). The morphological distinctions had been supported by genetical evidences. The results of phylogeny had shown that all the species (understudy) are genetically distinct and T.devraji had monophyletic origin.