BACKGROUND: Lake Tanganyika is considered a biodiversity hotspot with exceptional species richness and level of endemism. Given the global importance of the lake in the field of evolutionary biology, the understudied status of its parasite fauna is surprising with a single digenean species reported to date. Although the most famous group within the lake's fish fauna are cichlids, the pelagic zone is occupied mainly by endemic species of clupeids (Actinopterygii: Clupeidae) and lates perches (Actinopterygii: Latidae, Lates Cuvier), which are an important commercial source for local fisheries. In this study, we focused on the lake's four lates perches and targeted their thus far unexplored endoparasitic digenean fauna. METHODS: A total of 85 lates perches from four localities in Lake Tanganyika were examined. Cryptogonimid digeneans were studied by means of morphological and molecular characterisation. Partial sequences of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were sequenced for a representative subset of the specimens recovered. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted at the family level under Bayesian inference. RESULTS: Our integrative approach revealed the presence of six species within the family Cryptogonimidae Ward, 1917. Three out of the four species of Lates were found to be infected with at least one cryptogonimid species. Two out of the three reported genera are new to science. Low interspecific but high intraspecific phenotypic and genetic diversity was found among Neocladocystis spp. Phylogenetic inference based on partial 28S rDNA sequences revealed a sister group relationship for two of the newly erected genera and their close relatedness to the widely distributed genus Acanthostomum Looss, 1899. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides the first comprehensive characterisation of the digenean diversity in a fish family from Lake Tanganyika which will serve as a baseline for future explorations of the lake's digenean fauna. Our study highlights the importance of employing an integrative approach for revealing the diversity in this unique host-parasite system.

• MeSH
• Bayesova věta MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• biologická evoluce MeSH
• cichlidy parazitologie   MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• infekce červy třídy Trematoda epidemiologie   parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• jezera parazitologie   MeSH
• mitochondriální DNA genetika   MeSH
• respirační komplex IV genetika   MeSH
• ribozomální DNA MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 28S genetika   MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• Trematoda anatomie a histologie   klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• žábry parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Tanzanie MeSH

BACKGROUND: African tetras (Alestidae) belonging to Brycinus Valenciennes are known to be parasitized with monogeneans attributed to two genera, Annulotrema Paperna & Thurston, 1969 and Characidotrema Paperna & Thurston, 1968 (Dactylogyridae). During a survey of monogeneans parasitizing alestids, species of Characidotrema were collected in Cameroon, D. R. Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe. This paper provides new morphological data and the first molecular analysis broadening our knowledge on the diversity of these parasites. RESULTS: Seven species (four known and three new) of Characidotrema are reported from two species of Brycinus: C. auritum n. sp. and C. vespertilio n. sp. from B. imberi (Peters); and C. brevipenis Paperna, 1969, C. nursei Ergens, 1973, C. pollex n. sp., C. spinivaginus (Paperna, 1973) and C. zelotes Kritsky, Kulo & Boeger, 1987 from B. nurse (Rüppell). Species identification was based on morphological analysis of the sclerotized structures supported by nuclear ribosomal DNA (partial 18S rDNA, ITS1, and 28S rDNA) sequence data. Morphological analysis confirmed that the most apparent character distinguishing species in the genus is the morphology of the male copulatory organ and vagina. Observations on the haptoral sclerotized elements of these parasites by means of phase contrast microscopy revealed the presence of a sheath-like structure relating to the ventral anchor, a feature that supplements the generic diagnosis of Characidotrema. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of the large subunit (28S) rDNA sequences recovered Characidotrema species isolated from the two Brycinus hosts as monophyletic, and indicated a closer relationship of this group to monogeneans parasitizing African cyprinids (Dactylogyrus spp.) and cichlids (species of Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960, Scutogyrus Pariselle & Euzet, 1995, and Onchobdella Paperna, 1968) than to those from catfishes (species of Quadriacanthus Paperna, 1961, Schilbetrema Paperna & Thurston, 1968 and Synodontella Dossou & Euzet, 1993). The overall agreement between the morphological diversification of the MCOs and the molecular tree observed in this study indicates that significant phylogenetic signals for clarifying relationships among species of Characidotrema are present in the characteristics of the MCO. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that intra-host speciation is an important force shaping the present distribution and diversity of Characidotrema but further studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis and assess questions related to the phylogeny of these parasites. To identify potential co-speciation events, co-phylogenetic analyses of these monogeneans and their alestid hosts are required.

• MeSH
• cichlidy parazitologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze * MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita * MeSH
• jezera parazitologie   MeSH
• nemoci ryb parazitologie   MeSH
• ribozomální DNA genetika   MeSH
• Trematoda klasifikace   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• žábry parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• subsaharská Afrika MeSH

BACKGROUND: Despite their complex life-cycles involving various types of hosts and free-living stages, digenean trematodes are becoming recurrent model systems. The infection and penetration strategy of the larval stages, i.e. cercariae, into the fish host is poorly understood and information regarding their entry portals is not well-known for most species. Cardiocephaloides longicollis (Rudolphi, 1819) Dubois, 1982 (Digenea, Strigeidae) uses the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.), an important marine fish in Mediterranean aquaculture, as a second intermediate host, where they encyst in the brain as metacercariae. Labelling the cercariae with in vivo fluorescent dyes helped us to track their entry into the fish, revealing the penetration pattern that C. longicollis uses to infect S. aurata. METHODS: Two different fluorescent dyes were used: carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and Hoechst 33342 (NB). Three ascending concentrations of each dye were tested to detect any effect on labelled cercarial performance, by recording their survival for the first 5 h post-labelling (hpl) and 24 hpl, as well as their activity for 5 hpl. Labelled cercariae were used to track the penetration points into fish, and cercarial infectivity and later encystment were analysed by recording brain-encysted metacercariae in fish infected with labelled and control cercariae after 20 days of infection. RESULTS: Although the different dye concentrations showed diverse effects on both survival and activity, intermediate doses of CFSE did not show any short-term effect on survival, permitting a brighter and longer recognition of cercariae on the host body surface. Therefore, CFSE helped to determine the penetration points of C. longicollis into the fish, denoting their aggregation on the head, eye and gills region, as well as on the dorsal fin and the lower side. Only CFSE-labelled cercariae showed a decreased number of encysted metacercariae when compared to control. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that CFSE is an adequate labelling method for short-term in vivo studies, whereas NB would better suit in vivo studies on long-term performance. Cardiocephaloides longicollis cercariae seem to be attracted to areas near to the brain or those that are likely to be connected to migration routes to neuronal canals.

• MeSH
• benzimidazoly MeSH
• cerkárie MeSH
• fluoresceiny MeSH
• fluorescenční barviva * MeSH
• infekce červy třídy Trematoda přenos   veterinární   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita * MeSH
• larva MeSH
• metacerkárie MeSH
• mořan zlatý parazitologie   MeSH
• nemoci ryb parazitologie   MeSH
• stadia vývoje MeSH
• sukcinimidy MeSH
• Trematoda růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• vodní hospodářství MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH