Microcotyle | |
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Microcotyle donavini (Type-species of Microcotyle) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
Class: | Monogenea |
Order: | Mazocraeidea |
Family: | Microcotylidae |
Subfamily: | Microcotylinae |
Genus: | Microcotyle Van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 |
Microcotyle is a genus which belongs to the phylum Platyhelminthes and class Monogenea. Species of Microcotyle are ectoparasites that affect their host by attaching themselves as larvae on the gills of the fish and grow into adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated.
Species of Microcotyle have only one host in their entire life cycle. Different species of Microcotyle inhabit marine and freshwater and they can also infect different species of fishes. They are uniquely characterized by their haptor having a lot of tiny clamps on the lateral margins.
Although not really known to cause that much damage in marine wildlife, some of them are reported to cause agricultural problems like Microcotyle sebastis as an example. Microcotyle sebastis commonly affects Sebastes schlegeli, a maricultured fish in Korea. [1]
Individuals of species of Microcotyle, like any typical polyopisthocotylean monogenean, have an anterior organ called prohaptor, which is mainly used for feeding and attachment. Although the prohaptor is not the primary attachment organ, it is used to anchor the body of the parasite while the opisthaptor is being repositioned. The opisthaptor is found in all Microcotyle species and it is an important attachment organ that allows these ectoparasites to latch onto their hosts.
Located at the anterior part of the worm is the funnel-shaped mouth that is connected to the pharynx, followed by the esophagus that is smaller in diameter compared to the pharynx. About one tenth of the entire length of the worm, the esophagus then divides into intestinal crura, which extends further posteriorly. The cruca is divided into pouches, which extend between vitellaria. Vitallaria are glands that secrete yolk around the egg. This digestive pathway is observed to be continuous throughout the entire worm. Food particles were observed to be passing back and forth along these pathways in vivo. [2]
The worms are hermaphroditic, containing both male and female organs. Each worm has reproductive organs such as vas deferens, testis, uterus, vitelline duct, ovary, and vitellaria. [2] They also have flame cells that function as a kidney and remove waste material. A short duct that opens to the outside on the dorsal surface is composed of four canals on each side, two posterior and two anterior, that come together laterally to the cirrus. During observation on immature specimens, these canals can still be seen. However, on adults, these canals are concealed by vitellaria. [2]
Species of Microcotyle have a direct life cycle; no intermediate hosts are needed to complete its life cycle. Marine fishes are the definitive host of these parasites. The adults live on the gill of the fishes as ectoparasites. The eggs are released into water, hatch and develop as oncomiracidium. The oncomiracidia, free swimming form larvae, move around and attach to another fish and grow into adult stage. The life cycle of species of Microcotyle is completed and repeated again and again.
Bath treatment using praziquantel is the effective methods of treating Microcotyle sebastis on rockfish. [3] An experiment was done to indicate that feeding a praziquantel-adsorbed diet significantly reduces the abundance of M. sebastis infestation, and bathing in 100 ppm praziquantel for 4 minutes is effective for controlling M. sebastis infestation in a practical rockfish culture system. [1]
According to the World Register of Marine Species, [4] there are more than one hundred species in this genus:
Microcotylidae is a family of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans. All the species in this family are parasitic on fish.
Microcotyle archosargi is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae. It was first described by MacCallum in 1913 based on ten specimens. Hargis (1956) pointed out that the description and figures given by MacCallum were poor in details.
Microcotyle algeriensis is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle bassensis is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle centropristis is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle poronoti is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle cepolae is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle sebastisci is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle victoriae is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle toba is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle tanago is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle sebastis is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle danielcarrioni is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Microcotyle moyanoi is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.
Pseudaxine is a genus which belongs to the phylum Platyhelminthes and class Monogenea; all its species are parasites of fish.
Cynoscionicola is a genus which belongs to the family Microcotylidae and class Monogenea. Species of Cynoscionicola are ectoparasites that affect their host by attaching themselves as larvae on the gills of the fish and grow into adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated. This genus was proposed by Price in 1962, to accommodate Cynoscionicola heteracantha and Cynoscionicola pseudoheteracantha . Members of Cynoscionicola are characterised by a genital atrium with two anterior muscular pockets armed with single row of hooked spines, and two posterior lateral muscular pouches armed with spines.
Metamicrocotyla is a genus which belongs to the family Microcotylidae and class Monogenea. It was created by Yamaguti in 1953 to include Metamicrocotyla bora and Metamicrocotyla filiformis from the gills off the flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus (Mugilidae). As all Monogenea, species of Metamicrocotyla are ectoparasites that affect their host by attaching themselves as larvae on the gills of the fish and grow into adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated. Members of Metamicrocotyla are characterized by a symmetrical haptor, a variable number of postovarian testes and with no cirrus nor vagina. their genital atrium is provided with paired groups of spines or hooks.
Microcotylinae is a subfamily within family Microcotylidae and class Monogenea. This subfamily was created by Taschenberg in 1879.
Bivagina is a genus of monogeneans. As all Monogenea, species in the genus are ectoparasites that affect their host by attaching themselves as larvae on the gills of fish and grow into adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated.
Diplasiocotyle is a genus which belongs to the family Microcotylidae and class Monogenea. As all Monogenea, species of Microcotylidae are ectoparasites that affect their host by attaching themselves as larvae on the gills of the fish and grow into adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized as free swimming and ciliated.
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