Simplex Sensu Research Articles

Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Dendarus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Blaptinae: Dendarini) from Iran, Turkmenistan and some adjacent territories.

The taxonomic review of the genus Dendarus Dejean, 1821 from Iran and Turkmenistan is given. In total, five species are distributed in Iran and four species in South Turkmenistan; three species occur in both countries. The new species D. matthewsi sp. n. is described from Iran and compared with D. simplex Seidlitz, 1893. One taxon is resurrected from a synonymy with D. transcaspicus: D. vagabundus sp. resurr. As a result, one Afghan subspecies of D. transcaspicus belongs to another species: D. vagabundus afghanicus Kaszab, 1973. The following new synonymy is proposed: Dendarus vagabundus vagabundus Reitter, 1904 = D. transcaspicus medvedevi Kaszab, 1973, syn. n. Lectotypes of Dendarus armeniacus Baudi di Selve, 1876 and D. leonhardi Schuster, 1940 are designated. The following erroneous interpretations of Iranian and Turkmenian species are indicated: D. vagabundus = D. armeniacus sensu G. Medvedev = D. transcaspicus sensu Kaszab; D. armeniacus = D. simplex sensu G. Medvedev. New distribution data are given: D. armeniacusN Iran (excluded from faunistic lists of Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey); D. crenulatus (Mntris, 1832)Turkey, Transcaucasia, the North Caucasus (Russia: Dagestan, Chechen Republic), N Iran, Turkmenistan (new record for the country); D. leonhardiNE Iran, S Turkmenistan; D. matthewsi Nabozhenko sp. n.W Iran (Zagros); D. transcaspicus Brancsik, 1899S Turkmenistan (Kopetdag); D. vagabundus vagabundus Reitter, 1904N Iran, S Turkmenistan (Kopetdag). Two species must be excluded from Iranian faunistic list: D. simplexTurkey, Syria, Iraq; D. extensus (Faldermann, 1837)Georgia, Armenia, W Azerbaijan, Turkey (new record for the country). Well-illustrated keys to males and females of Iranian and Turkmenian species of the genus are given.

Increasing intensities of Anisakis simplex third-stage larvae (L3) in Atlantic salmon of coastal waters of Scotland

BackgroundRed Vent Syndrome (RVS), a haemorrhagic inflammation of the vent region in Atlantic salmon, is associated with high abundance of Anisakis simplex (s.s.) third-stage larvae (L3) in the vent region. Despite evidence suggesting that increasing A. simplex (s.s.) intensity is a causative factor in RVS aetiology, the definitive cause remains unclear.MethodsA total of 117 Atlantic salmon were sampled from commercial fisheries on the East, West, and North coasts of Scotland and examined for ascaridoid parasites. Genetic identification of a subsample of Anisakis larvae was performed using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA. To assess the extent of differentiation of feeding grounds and dietary composition, stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen was carried out on Atlantic salmon muscle tissue.ResultsIn the present study, the obtained ITS rDNA sequences matched A. simplex (s.s.) sequences deposited in GenBank at 99–100%. Not all isolated larvae (n = 30,406) were genetically identified. Therefore, the morphotype found in this study is referred to as A. simplex (sensu lato). Anisakis simplex (s.l.) was the most prevalent (100%) nematode with the highest mean intensity (259.9 ± 197.3), in comparison to Hysterothylacium aduncum (66.7%, 6.4 ± 10.2) and Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.l.) (14.5%, 1.4 ± 0.6). The mean intensity of A. simplex (s.l.) represents a four-fold increase compared to published data (63.6 ± 31.9) from salmon captured in Scotland in 2009. Significant positive correlations between A. simplex (s.l.) larvae intensities from the body and the vent suggest that they play a role in the emergence of RVS. The lack of a significant variation in stable isotope ratios of Atlantic salmon indicates that diet or feeding ground are not driving regional differences in A. simplex (s.l.) intensities.ConclusionsThis paper presents the most recent survey for ascaridoid parasites of wild Atlantic salmon from three coastal regions in Scotland. A significant rise in A. simplex (s.l.) intensity could potentially increase both natural mortality rates of Atlantic salmon and possible risks for salmon consumers due to the known zoonotic role of A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii within the A. simplex (s.l.) species complex.

Detection of ascaridoid nematode parasites in the important marine food-fish Conger myriaster (Brevoort) (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the Zhoushan Fishery, China

BackgroundThe whitespotted conger Conger myriaster (Brevoort) (Anguilliformes: Congridae) is an extremely marketable food fish, commonly consumed as sashimi or sushi in some Asian countries (i.e. Japan, Korea and China). Conger myriaster is also suspected as being an extremely important source of human anisakidosis. However, there is currently very little information on the levels of infection with ascaridoid nematode parasites in this economically important marine fish. The aims of the present study are to determine the species composition, prevalence and mean intensity of ascaridoid parasites of C. myriaster caught in the Zhoushan Fishery.ResultsA total of 1142 third-stage ascaridoid larvae were isolated from 204 C. myriaster. The overall prevalence of infection was 100% (mean intensity 5.6). Nine species of such larvae were accurately identified using integrative taxonomic techniques involving both morphological and genetic data; these included Anisakis pegreffii, A. typica and A. simplex (sensu stricto) × A. pegreffii, Hysterothylacium fabri, H. aduncum, H. sinense, H. amoyense, H. zhoushanense and Raphidascaris lophii. Although high levels of infection and species richness were revealed in C. myriaster, most of the ascaridoid parasites (1135 individuals) were collected from the body cavity and visceral organs of the fish and only seven individuals of A. pegreffii were found in the musculature.ConclusionsThis study represents the first report C. myriaster from the Zhoushan Fishery being heavily infected with third-stage ascaridoid larvae. Among the ascaridoid larvae parasitic in this fish, an important etiological agent of human anisakidosis, A. pegreffii (L3), represents the predominant species. The genus Hysterothylacium has the highest species richness, with H. fabri (L3) being the most prevalent species. This high level of infection of A. pegreffii (L3) in C. myriaster suggests a high risk of anisakidosis or associated allergies for people consuming raw or poorly cooked fish originating from this marine area. These findings provide important basic information on the occurrence and infection parameters of ascaridoid nematodes in this economically important marine fish. They also have significant implications for the prevention and control of human anisakidosis when conger eels from the Zhoushan Fishery are consumed.

Neosiphonia yongpilii sp. nov. (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta), known as Neosiphonia simplex from Korea, with an emphasis on cystocarp development

:A critical re-examination of recent collections and herbarium specimens from Korea previously referred to Neosiphonia simplex (Hollenberg) Y.Lee showed them to be incorrectly identified. The phylogenetic analyses of rbcL sequences demonstrated that ‘N. simplex’ from Korea formed a clade distinct from other species in Polysiphonia sensu lato, and was clearly separate from N. simplex from California, with high sequence divergence. We propose N. simplex sensu Y.Lee from Korea as the new species, Neosiphonia yongpilii sp. nov. This novel species was characterized by severely twisted erect axes, with two to three pinkish sterile cells at apices of spermatangial branches. We also noted that lateral and basal sterile cell groups remain until maturation of the gonimoblast, and that the origin of inner and outer cortical filaments of the pericarp are central cells and pericentral cells respectively.