Abstract
Copepods of the family Pandaridae are typically ectoparasites of elasmobranch fishes. They display a cosmopolitan distribution and limited host specificity. Published literature on their occurrence on pelagic sharks in the Mediterranean is scarce, often from the past century, or scattered through fish parasite surveys. Moreover, of the 64 valid pandarid species known at present, molecular data from GenBank exists for only 10 species and there are no data from the Mediterranean. In this study, we begin addressing this knowledge gap by exploring the molecular features of some pandarid copepods (i.e.,Dinemoura latifolia,Echthrogaleus coleoptratus, Pandarus satyrus, andPhyllothyreus cornutus) and their phylogenetic relationships using new material from pelagic sharks (i.e.,Prionace glauca,Isurus oxyrinchus, andCarcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean. Genetic distances analysis showed intraspecific variation in the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidasecsubunit 1 (mtDNAcox1) sequences and interspecific variations of 0.001–0.081 and 0.196–0.288, respectively, for the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) and thecox1 gene locus. Phylogenetic analyses of pandarid copepods based on sequences available in GenBank plus the sequences generated by our study revealed two major clades: the first, with strong nodal support, included species ofPandarus,Phyllothyreus,Pannosus, andPseudopandarus; the second, with weaker nodal support, included species ofAchtheinus,Perissopus,Echtrogaleus, Nesippus, andDinemoura.As most pandarid species are missing from the present analyses, we discuss the limitations of our phylogenetic results. Nevertheless, this study represents a first step toward to yielding new information about the phylogeny of parasitic copepods on pelagic sharks in the Mediterranean.
Highlights
The Order Siphonostomatoida Thorell, 1859 includes 39 families of copepods and encompasses about 75% of all parasitic copepods on fishes (Gunn and Pitt, 2012)
Voucher specimens have been deposited in the collection of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples with the following accession numbers: SZN-CRUOO2A-2B (D. latifolia), SZNCRU003A-3B (P. satyrus), SZN-CRUOO4A-4B (Ph. cornutus) and SZN-CRU005A-5B (E. coleoptratus)
High quality sequences for both SSU and cox1 gene loci were successfully obtained for D. latifolia, E. coleoptratus, and P. satyrus
Summary
The Order Siphonostomatoida Thorell, 1859 includes 39 families of copepods and encompasses about 75% of all parasitic copepods on fishes (Gunn and Pitt, 2012). Members of the family Pandaridae Edwards, 1840, are typically parasites of external surfaces of elasmobranchs (Kabata, 1979; Izawa, 2010; Bernot and Boxshall, 2017). Pandarid copepods are characterized by attachment organs named adhesion pads (Kabata, 1988). Their adhesive surface is formed by a thick cushion of skin with a ridged outer layer (Wilson, 1907). The site of attachment on the host varies depending on tissue tropism and the fundamental niche of the parasite species; they can colonize fins, gills, the cloacal aperture, the mouth, or nasal passages (Benz, 1981, 1986; Rokicki and Bychawska, 1991). Pandarid species are cosmopolitan in their distribution, occurring in warm and temperate waters with most of the species capable of parasitizing more host species (Alvarez and Winfield, 2001)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
