Exploring South Africa's hidden marine parasite diversity: two new marine species (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Ergasilidae) from the Evileye blaasop, (Bloch).

Marine parasites remain understudied in South Africa with little information available on their diversity and the effects these parasites may have on their hosts. This is especially true for parasitic copepods within the family Ergasilidae. Among the 4 genera known in Africa, Nordmann, 1832 is the most speciose with 19 reported species.

A new species of Neoergasilus Yin 1956 (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Ergasilidae) parasitic on the catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Siluriformes: Clariidae) from South Africa.

Twenty-one specimens of an ergasilid were collected from the gills of the sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), from the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The first leg and antennae morphology conformed to the genus Neoergasilus Yin, 1956. While the invasive Neoergasilus japonicus (Harada, 1930) is the only Neoergasilus species that has been reported from Africa, the combination of several characteristics, separates the Eastern Cape specimens from N.

Parasite diversity and community structure of translocated (Burchell) in South Africa: Testing co-introduction, parasite spillback and enemy release hypotheses.

(Burchell) is one of several freshwater fish species that have been translocated beyond its natural geographic range in South Africa. The present study investigated the parasitic communities of two translocated populations (one in the Riviersonderend River, Western Cape and the other from the Great Fish River, Eastern Cape) as well as its native source population from Gariep Dam, Free State. A total of nine, seven, and eight parasitic taxa were found to parasitise various organs of from the three populations, respectively.

 sp. nov. (Crustacea, Isopoda, Gnathiidae), a temporary parasite of the pufferfish, , from temperate southern Africa.

A new species, , is described from specimens taken from pufferfish, , at Chintsa and De Hoop Nature Reserve on the southern Indian Ocean coast of South Africa. is characterised by the straight frontal margin, presence of conical superior frontolateral process, a strong and bifid mediofrontal processes, pronounced and pointed supraocular lobes, mandible strongly curved with a dentate blade, and the claviform penes produced more than a third the length of the pereon. A summary and key to the males of all known species of the Gnathiidae from the Temperate Southern African marine realm is provided.

Review of the metazoan parasites of the economically and ecologically important African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus in Africa: Current status and novel records.

One of the most widely distributed African freshwater fish is the African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) that is naturally distributed in 8 of the 10 ichthyofaunal regions of this continent. Clarias gariepinus is a highly valued and cheap staple to local communities and an ideal aquaculture species. Consequently, interest in the parasitic communities of C.

Morphological and molecular characterisation of Alella igillimpethu n. sp. (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Lernaeopodidae) parasitising the southern African endemic intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus.

Lernaeopodidae Milne Edwards, 1840, is an ecological and economically important fish parasite family of copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda), consisting of 48 genera with 334 valid species. To date, approximately 17 genera have been documented from both teleost and elasmobranch hosts from South African marine waters. As part of parasitological surveys targeting parasites of the endemic intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus) (Clinidae) along the South African coast, a species of Lernaeopodidae was discovered on the gills of this host.

High element concentrations are not always equivalent to a stressful environment: differential responses of parasite taxa to natural and anthropogenic stressors.

Environmental parasitology developed as a discipline that addresses the impact of anthropogenic activities related to the occurrence and abundance of parasites, subsequently relating deviations of natural parasite distribution to environmental impact. Metals, often considered pollutants, might occur under natural conditions, where concentrations might be high due to a natural geogenic release rather than anthropogenic activities. We specifically investigated whether naturally occurring high levels of elements might negatively affect the parasite community of the intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus, at different localities along the South African coast.

Metazoan parasite diversity of the endemic South African intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus: Factors influencing parasite community composition.

The current trend in marine parasitology research, particularly in South Africa, is to focus on a specific parasite taxon and not on the total parasite community of a specific fish host. However, these records do not always reveal the ecological role of parasites in ecosystems. Thus, the present study aimed to determine which factors influence the parasite community composition of the endemic southern African intertidal klipfish, Clinus superciliosus (n = 75).

Two new species of branchial fish parasitic isopod of the genus Costa, in Hope, 1851 (Isopoda, Cymothoidae) from Nigeria.

The branchial attaching, fish parasitic genus Costa, in Hope, 1851 is recorded for the first time from Nigerian brackish waters on (Perciformes: Monodactylidae). is characterised by a trapezoid-shaped cephalon with a subtruncate rostrum; pereonite 1 anterolateral angles only reaching to the posterior margin of the eyes; particularly large and wide coxa 7 extending to pleonite 4; pereopod 7 with a narrow basis; broadly rounded pleotelson; and uropods extending to the pleotelson posterior margin, with subequal rami. is characterised by its small size (7 mm); a posteriorly ovoid body shape; cephalon anterior margin truncate; a short pleon with pleotelson lateral margins converging to a narrowly rounded apex; pleonite lateral margins overlapped by pereonite 7; slender uropods that extend to the posterior margin of the pleotelson with the uropodal exopod almost double the length of the endopod.

First record and molecular characterisation of two species (Crustacea, Isopoda, Gnathiidae) from Philippine coral reefs, including a summary of all Central-Indo Pacific species.

Due to their unusual life cycle that includes parasitic larval and free living adult stages, gnathiid isopods are typically overlooked in biodiversity surveys, even those that focus on parasites. While the Philippines sits within the region of highest marine biodiversity in the world, the coral triangle, no gnathiid species have been identified or described from that region. Here we present the first records of two gnathiid species collected from the Visayas, central Philippines: Müller, 1993, previously described from Malaysia, and Tanaka, 2004, previously described from southern Japan.

Morphological description and molecular characterisation of a new species of Leach, 1818 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) from India.

A fish parasitic isopod recently reported from India as Bleeker, 1857, was re-examined and morphologically compared to five closely related species: Leach, 1818, Williams and Bunkley-Williams, 1986, Bleeker, 1857, Welicky and Smit, 2019 and Bariche and Trilles, 2006. This species was sequenced and compared to other known species based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragments Both morphological and molecular data corroborate that the species parasitising the clupeid fish (Valenciennes, 1847) from India should be recognised as a new species, and we describe n. sp.

Description of life stages, molecular characterisation as well as a new host and locality record of Van As and Van As (1996) from Phongolo River, South Africa.

Van As and Van As, 1996 was original described from the Eastern Caprivi (Namibia) and the Okavango System (Botswana), collected from five Cuvier, 1816 (Mochokidae) species. This fish genus is endemic to Africa, with 130 valid species, making it one of the most species-rich and widely distributed mochokid catfish family. During parasitological surveys conducted in the Phongolo River (South Africa), a Thiele, 1900 species was collected from Peters, 1852 In total, 21 adult females, four adult males, as well as representatives of the larval developmental stages were found.

Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae (Yin & Sproston, 1948) from the giant mottled eel Anguilla marmorata Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, in the Phongolo River, South Africa: an invader on the African continent.

The global invasive anguillid gill parasite Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae (Yin and Sproston, 1948) has only recently been documented from eels in South Africa. As there is no known eel trade in South Africa, the source of introduction of this parasite has been debated, and its status as an alien parasite was rendered uncertain. We report on the first infection of Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae from the giant mottled eel Anguilla marmorata from the Phongolo River (South Africa) using classic morphological and molecular methodologies and clarify the introduction status category of this parasite as alien and invasive.

Review of the global distribution and hosts of the economically important fish parasitic isopod genus Ceratothoa (Isopoda: Cymothoidae), including the description of Ceratothoa springbok n. sp. from South Africa.

Fish parasites from the isopod family Cymothoidae have, in recent years, received increased global attention due to both their ecological and economic importance. This is particularly true for the buccal inhabiting genus Ceratothoa Dana, 1852, whose members have been implicated in negatively impacting the health of both farmed and wild-caught fishes. As research on this group increases, so does our understanding of their host specificity and distribution.

(Crustacea, Isopoda, Gnathiidae), a new species from the mesophotic reefs of Bermuda, with a key to from the Greater Caribbean biogeographic region.

is described from mesophotic coral ecosystems in Bermuda; it is distinguished by pronounced and pointed supraocular lobes, two superior frontolateral processes and a weak bifid mediofrontal process, pereonite 1 not fused dorsally with the cephalosome, and large eyes. This is the first record of a species of from Bermuda. A synopsis and key to the other species from the Greater Caribbean biogeographic region is provided.

A new genus and species of fish parasitic cymothoid (Crustacea, Isopoda) from the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, with a key to the externally attaching genera of Cymothoidae.

. is described from Sodwana Bay, north-eastern South Africa. The monotypic genus is characterised by the broadly truncate anterior margin of the head with a ventral rostrum, coxae 2-5 being ventral in position not forming part of the body outline and not or barely visible in dorsal view, and the posterolateral margins of pereonites 6 and 7 are posteriorly produced and broadly rounded.

Hooked on you: shape of attachment structures in cymothoid isopods reflects parasitic strategy.

Background: Parasite attachment structures are critical traits that influence effective host exploitation and survival. Morphology of attachment structures can reinforce host specificity and niche specialisation, or even enable host switching. Therefore, it is important to understand the determinants of variation in attachment structures.

Review of the fish parasitic genus Schioedte & Meinert, 1884 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) from South Africa, including the description of three new species.

The branchial-attaching cymothoid genus, Schioedte & Meinert, 1884 is a genus with a worldwide distribution of 36 species, including the three species described here. (Milne Edwards, 1840) is the only species that has been described from southern Africa. All South African material held at the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France (MNHN) and the Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town (SAMC) identified as, or appearing to belong to, was examined.

Understanding growth relationships of African cymothoid fish parasitic isopods using specimens from museum and field collections.

Cymothoid isopods are a diverse group of ectoparasites of fish species, and are particularly conspicuous as they are large and attach to the body surface, mouth, and gill chamber of fish hosts. These parasites transition from juvenile to male to female, and how their size changes with ontogeny and correlates with host size is not well understood. To better understand these relationships, data from field and museum collected samples of South Africa were combined to test for the associations between host and parasite length for three mouth and one gill chamber-infesting genera (, , , and respectively).

Revision of the fish parasitic genus Richardson, 1910 (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), with the description of a new species and key to the genus.

The cymothoid genus, Richardson, 1910, is revised and a new species from South Africa is recorded. can be distinguished by large eyes covering majority of the cephalon (almost in contact), antennula bases wide apart, antenna extending to middle of pereonite 2, subtruncate pleotelson, pereopod 7 with numerous acute robust setae on the propodus as well as the carpus, and the uropod exopod longer than the endopod. The three known species, Avdeev, 1975; Richardson, 1910; and Richardson, 1911 are also redescribed.

Molecular assessment of three species of (Isopoda, Cymothoidae) ectoparasites from Caribbean coral reef fishes, with the description of sp. n.

A morphological review and molecular characterization of Bunkley Williams & Williams, 1981, were completed using specimens collected from Desmarest, 1823 (French grunt) and Linnaeus, 1758 (red hind). Molecular and morphological data suggest that the isopods parasitizing and are different species. The specimens collected from are recognized as a new species, Differences between and include but are not limited to the pleonites 1-3 of .

sp. n. (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), a new fish parasitic isopod from Hawaii.

The new cymothoid species, , a branchial parasite of fishes from the family Acanthuridae Bonaparte, 1835 in Hawaii, is described and figured. The female adults can be distinguished by the strongly vaulted body and compacted body shape; rostrum with a small median point; short antennae which are close together (only 6 articles in both antennula and antenna); short and wide uropods extending to half the length of the pleotelson; short dactyli on pereopod 7; and large recurved robust setae on the maxilla. This is the first record of an Schioedte & Meinert, 1884 species from the Hawaiian Islands and only the fifth cymothoid described from this region.

Alien freshwater fish parasites from South Africa: Diversity, distribution, status and the way forward.

The global translocation and introduction of freshwater fish into non-native regions has created the perfect opportunity for the co-introduction of their parasites. In a recent review on non-native freshwater fish introductions in South Africa, 55 fishes were reported as introduced into novel environments in South Africa, with 27 alien and 28 extralimital. However, the parasites potentially co-introduced by these non-native fishes have received much less attention from researchers than the hosts themselves.

nom. n., the replacement name for (Nierstrasz, 1915), a junior secondary homonym of (Richardson, 1910) (Isopoda, Cymothoidae).

The recent transfer of (Richardson, 1910) from created a homonymy with (Nierstrasz, 1915). (Richardson, 1910) has priority and is proposed as the new replacement name for the junior secondary homonym (Nierstrasz, 1915).