Lethacotyle fijiensis

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Lethacotyle fijiensis
Journal.pone.0079155.g002 cropped Lethacotyle fijiensis Manter & Prince, 1953, holotype body.tiff
Holotype of Lethacotyle fijiensis Manter & Prince, 1953
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Monogenea
Order: Mazocraeidea
Family: Protomicrocotylidae
Genus: Lethacotyle
Species:
L. fijiensis
Binomial name
Lethacotyle fijiensis
Manter & Price, 1953

Lethacotyle fijiensis is a species of monogeneans of the family Protomicrocotylidae.

Microscopic slide of the holotype of Lethacotyle fijiensis, made in 1953 Journal.pone.0079155.g001 Slide of holotype of Lethacotyle fijiensis Manter & Prince, 1953.png
Microscopic slide of the holotype of Lethacotyle fijiensis, made in 1953

The species is ectoparasitic on the gills of an unknown carangid fish identified in the original publication [1] as "yellow jack". It is the type-species of the genus Lethacotyle Manter & Prince, 1953. It has been described from two specimens only by Manter & Prince in 1953; [1] of these, a single specimen, the holotype has been kept in the US National Parasite Collections and thus was the single specimen of the species, and therefore of the genus, which was available for study. Later, another species of the same genus was described. [2]

Lethacotyle fijiensis has been found only off Fiji by Manter & Prince in 1953 [1] (the material of the original description, hence the Latin species name, fijiensis, meaning "from Fiji") and allegedly off Andaman Islands by Ramalingam in 1968, [3] [4] although other authors [2] have expressed doubt that the later author actually found the same species.

Male copulatory organ of Lethacotyle fijiensis Journal.pone.0079155.g002 Cropped C MCO Focus 1.png
Male copulatory organ of Lethacotyle fijiensis

The two specimens of the original material of L. fijiensis are 3.156 and 3.759 millimetres in length. [1] The body is elongate, flat, there are numerous testes and a single ovary. The copulatory organs include a sclerotised vagina and male copulatory organ, comprising a ring of 24-25 spines which are 24 μm in length. [1] The length of the spines of the male copulatory apparatus is the main diagnosis character of the species, [2] which allows its separation from L. vera , the only other species of the genus.

The posterior part of the body of L. fijiensis is asymmetrical. It bears a terminal lappet which is striated, and there are no clamps - this is a characteristic of the genus Lethacotyle . [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monogenea</span> Class of ectoparasitic flatworms

Monogeneans, members of the class Monogenea, are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyopisthocotylea</span> Subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea

Polyopisthocotylea is a subclass of parasitic flatworms in the class Monogenea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protomicrocotylidae</span> Family of flatworms

Protomicrocotylidae is a family of monogenean parasites in the order Mazocraeidea.

Lethacotyle is a genus of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans, included in the family Protomicrocotylidae.
The genus includes only two species: Lethacotyle fijiensisManter & Price, 1953 , the type-species of the genus, and Lethacotyle veraJustine, Rahmouni, Gey, Schoelinck, & Hoberg, 2013 . Both species are parasitic on the gills of jacks in the Pacific Ocean. They are known only from three localities: off Fiji, Andaman Islands, and New Caledonia.
The genus Lethacotyle is special in that its members have no clamps on their posterior attachment organ or haptor, in contrast to most polyopisthocotylean Monogenean which have clamps. This is reflected in the etymology of the name, which, according to Manter & Price is "from letha = forgetting, and cotyle = cup, and refers to the absence of clamps".

<i>Lethacotyle vera</i> Species of flatworm

Lethacotyle vera is a species of monogenean of the family Protomicrocotylidae.

<i>Pseudorhabdosynochus</i> Genus of flatworms

Pseudorhabdosynochus is a genus of monopisthocotylean monogeneans, included in the family Diplectanidae. The type-species of the genus is Pseudorhabdosynochus epinepheli .

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Microcotyle tampicensis is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Manter, H. W. & Prince, D. F. 1953: Some Monogenetic Trematodes of marine fishes from Fiji. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington, 20, 105-112.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Justine J-L, Rahmouni C, Gey D, Schoelinck C, Hoberg EP (2013). "The Monogenean which lost its clamps". PLOS ONE. 8 (11): e79155. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079155 . PMC   3838368 . PMID   24278118.
  3. Ramalingam, K. 1966: A rare record of Lethacotyle (Monogenea), its post-oncomiracidial larva with observation on distribution. Current Science, 35, 101-102.
  4. Ramalingam, K. 1968: A redescription of Lethacotyle (Monogenea) and its post-oncomiracidial larva. Journal of the Madras University B, 35-36, 107-114.