First insights into the diversity of gill monogeneans of 'Gnathochromis' and Limnochromis (Teleostei, Cichlidae) in Burundi: do the parasites mirror host ecology and phylogenetic history?

0457129 - ÚBO 2017 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Kmentová, N. - Gelnar, M. - Koblmüller, Stephan - Vanhove, M. P. M.
First insights into the diversity of gill monogeneans of 'Gnathochromis' and Limnochromis (Teleostei, Cichlidae) in Burundi: do the parasites mirror host ecology and phylogenetic history?
PeerJ. Roč. 4, e1629 (2016), e1629. ISSN 2167-8359. E-ISSN 2167-8359
R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP505/12/G112
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : Cichlidogyrus * Ectoparasites * Lake Tanganyika * Limnochromini * Tropheini
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
Impact factor: 2.177, year: 2016

This study presents the first investigation of the monogenean fauna occurring on the gills of endemic 'Gnathochromis' species along the Burundese coastline of Lake Tanganyika. We test whether their monogenean fauna reflects the different phylogenetic position and ecological niche of 'Gnathochromis' pfefferi and Gnathochromis permaxillaris. Worms collected from specimens of Limnochromis auritus, a cichlid belonging to the same cichlid tribe as G. permaxillaris, were used for comparison. Morphological as well as genetic characterisation was used for parasite identification. In total, all 73 Cichlidogyrus individuals collected from 'G.' pfefferi were identified as C. irenae. This is the only representative of Cichlidogyrus previously described from 'G.' pfefferi, its type host. Gnathochromis permaxillaris is infected by a species of Cichlidogyrus morphologically very similar to C. gillardinae. The monogenean species collected from L. auritus is considered as new for science, but sample size was insufficient for a formal description. Our results confirm previous suggestions that 'G.' pfefferi as a good disperser is infected by a single monogenean species across the entire Lake Tanganyika. Although G. permaxillaris and L. auritus are placed in the same tribe, Cichlidogyrus sp. occurring on G. permaxillaris is morphologically more similar to C. irenae from 'G.' pfefferi, than to the Cichlidogyrus species found on L. auritus. Various evolutionary processes, such as host-switching or duplication events, might underlie the pattern observed in this particular parasite-host system. Additional samples for the Cichlidogyrus species occuring on G. permaxillaris and L. auritus are needed to unravel their evolutionary history by means of (co-)phylogenetic analyses.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0257548