Triple barcoding for a hyperparasite, its parasitic host, and the host itself: a study of Cyclocotyla bellones (Monogenea) on Ceratothoa parallela (Isopoda) on Boops boops (Teleostei).

Chahinez Bouguerche,Delphine Gey,Jean-Lou Justine,Fadila Tazerouti

doi:10.1051/parasite/2021044

Abstract

Cyclocotyla bellones Otto, 1823 (Diclidophoridae) is a monogenean characterised by an exceptional way of life. It is a hyperparasite that attaches itself to the dorsal face of isopods, themselves parasites in the buccal cavity of fishes. In this study, Cy. bellones was found on Ceratothoa parallela (Otto, 1828), a cymothoid isopod parasite of the sparid fish Boops boops off Algeria in the Mediterranean Sea. We provide, for the first time, molecular barcoding information of a hyperparasitic monogenean, the parasitic crustacean host, and the fish host, with COI sequences.

Highlights

Cyclocotyla bellones Otto, 1823 is a diclidophorid Monogenea, hyperparasite of cymothoid isopods of the buccal cavity of the sparid fish Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758)
It is a hyperparasite that attaches itself to the dorsal face of isopods, themselves parasites in the buccal cavity of fishes
Cy. bellones was found on Ceratothoa parallela (Otto, 1828), a cymothoid isopod parasite of the sparid fish Boops boops off Algeria in the Mediterranean Sea

Summary

Introduction

Cyclocotyla bellones Otto, 1823 is a diclidophorid Monogenea, hyperparasite of cymothoid isopods of the buccal cavity of the sparid fish Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758). It was first described in one of the earliest accounts on monogeneans by Otto (1823), who erected the genus Cyclocotyla Otto, 1823 for Cy. bellones collected from the skin of the dorsal face of the garfish Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1760) off Naples, Italy [62]. It was frequently reported on isopods parasitic of B. boops and of Spicara spp. Note that amongst the polyopisthocotyleans collected on P. acarne, only Choricotyle sp. was included as it is remarkably similar in morphology to species of Cyclocotyla; Choricotyle sp. is a parasite of the fish so no isopod was involved in this particular association

Morphological methods

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

Conflict of interest