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Diversity
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Diversity and Phylogenetics of Parasites in Aquatic Animals
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Diversity and Phylogenetics of Parasites in Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 6551

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joanna Dzido

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: biology, taxonomy and phylogenetic of animal parasites
Dr. Martina Orosová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: comparative cytogenetics and karyotype evolution in helminths; parasitology; zoology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parasites are one of the most diverse groups of animals and one of the most common health problems that animals have to face. Parasitic diseases in aquatic animals are caused by a wide variety of endoparasites (helminths, protozoa) and ectoparasites (crustaceans, mites, lice), and some could be potentially dangerous to human health. The environment, especially climate change, undeniably impacts the distribution and diversity of both parasites and their hosts. Phylogenetic studies can provide new insights into the population structure, evolutionary relationships, transmission between different hosts, delimiting species in morphologically challenging grups. In this Special Issue of Diversity, we invite researchers to submit research publications, including both reviews and original research articles. This Special Issue will provide a platform for the presentation of the latest knowledge and information regarding the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of various species of aquatic animals (freshwater and salt water).

Dr. Joanna Dzido
Dr. Martina Orosová
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • genetic diversity
  • phylogeny
  • taxonomy
  • distibution
  • systematics
  • biogeography
  • evolution
  • ecology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 11826 KiB  
Article
Molecular Diversity of the Genus Plagiorchis Lühe, 1899 in Snail Hosts of Central Europe with Evidence of New Lineages
by Petra Kundid, Camila Pantoja, Kristýna Janovcová and Miroslava Soldánová
Diversity 2024, 16(3), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030158 - 1 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
Cercariae of Plagiorchis spp. are frequently reported in European freshwater snails, but their true diversity is difficult to estimate due to subtle differences in morphology. We molecularly characterized 67 isolates of Plagiorchis cercariae collected from four lymnaeid snail hosts, Ampullaceana balthica, Ampullaceana [...] Read more.
Cercariae of Plagiorchis spp. are frequently reported in European freshwater snails, but their true diversity is difficult to estimate due to subtle differences in morphology. We molecularly characterized 67 isolates of Plagiorchis cercariae collected from four lymnaeid snail hosts, Ampullaceana balthica, Ampullaceana lagotis, Radix auricularia and Lymnaea stagnalis in freshwater ecosystems in the Czech Republic and Poland. Based on mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear 28S sequences, ten species or species-level lineages were identified, including the first molecular evidence of P. vespertilionis from snail hosts and two species-level lineages reported for the first time. Previously undescribed species and species-level lineages are characterized morphometrically. We confirm the overlapping spatial distribution of Plagiorchis spp. in their snail hosts from Central Europe with those from Western and sub-Arctic Europe. Our results increase the known diversity of Plagiorchis spp. in Europe to 25 species/lineages in snails, but further research is needed to establish links between life cycle stages and to assess the host specificity of these parasites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity and Phylogenetics of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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15 pages, 3510 KiB  
Article
Karyological Study of Acanthocephalus lucii (Echinorhynchida): The Occurrence of B Chromosomes in Populations from PCB-Polluted Waters
by Anna Marková, Martina Orosová, František Marec, Daniel Barčák and Mikuláš Oros
Diversity 2024, 16(3), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030140 - 23 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1396
Abstract
In this study, we performed a cytogenetic analysis of Acanthocephalus lucii specimens from three sites with different levels of environmental pollution. Standard and fluorochrome staining (CMA3/DAPI), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and histone H3 probes, and silver impregnation [...] Read more.
In this study, we performed a cytogenetic analysis of Acanthocephalus lucii specimens from three sites with different levels of environmental pollution. Standard and fluorochrome staining (CMA3/DAPI), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and histone H3 probes, and silver impregnation were performed. Chromosome complements of 2n = 7/8 (male/female), n = 1m + 2sm + 1a (X), and CMA3-positive bands in all chromosomes were found in all three populations. FISH revealed one 18S rDNA locus on the X chromosome and one locus of H3 histone genes on the first chromosome pair. At the intraspecific level, the populations differed in the presence of supernumerary B chromosomes, which were found in all specimens from Zemplínska Šírava and in 89.4% of specimens from the Laborec River, but not at the reference site. The first two sites are considered to be water bodies with high toxin contamination. Based on this fact, we assume an increased frequency of chromosome breaks leading to the formation of DNA fragments that have the potential to form B chromosomes. The present results add to the very limited data on the organization of multigene families in the genome of Acanthocephala and suggest a possible causal link between water pollution and the occurrence of B chromosomes in fish parasites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity and Phylogenetics of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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36 pages, 3251 KiB  
Article
Diversity and Phylogeny of Gyrodactylus spp. (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) across the Strait of Gibraltar: Parasite Speciation and Historical Biogeography of West Mediterranean Cyprinid Hosts
by Chahrazed Rahmouni, Mária Seifertová, Michal Benovics and Andrea Šimková
Diversity 2023, 15(11), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15111152 - 20 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2525
Abstract
Knowledge on the diversity of parasitic flatworms of Western Mediterranean cyprinids is extremely scarce. In the present study, we parasitologically investigated 12 cyprinid species across the Strait of Gibraltar inhabiting watersheds in northwest Africa (Morocco) and Iberia (Portugal and Spain). Taxonomically relevant features [...] Read more.
Knowledge on the diversity of parasitic flatworms of Western Mediterranean cyprinids is extremely scarce. In the present study, we parasitologically investigated 12 cyprinid species across the Strait of Gibraltar inhabiting watersheds in northwest Africa (Morocco) and Iberia (Portugal and Spain). Taxonomically relevant features of the attachment organ and sequences of the 18S rDNA and ITS regions were used for species delineation and to investigate their phylogenetic relatedness. Among the Gyrodactylus collected from Morocco and Spain, we identified specimens with an unusual T-shaped dorsal bar observed herein for the first time. In contrast, the membranous patch-like structure surrounding the twisted inner roots of hamuli and the median ridge of the ventral bar have been generally observed in Eurasian relatives. Our analyses suggest vicariant speciation of Gyrodactylus across the Strait of Gibraltar. We describe herein G. gibraltarensis sp. nov. from Iberian Luciobarbus graellsii; G. moroccensis sp. nov. from northwest African cyprinids, i.e., L. maghrebensis, L. rabatensis, L. rifensis, L. yahyaouii, and L. zayanensis; and finally, G. pseudomoroccensis sp. nov. from Moroccan L. ksibi, all possessing a new haptoral configuration. The genetic divergence and conservative morphologies in populations of G. moroccensis sp. nov. from five cyprinid species support its ongoing speciation in Northwest Africa. The West Mediterranean lineage was revealed to be monophyletic, with Eurasian species forming a sister group. Morphologically, West Mediterranean Gyrodactylus also appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin. Gyrodactylus spp. possessing an unusual T-shaped dorsal bar have most likely speciated, allowing for the appearance of a haptoral morphology that is restricted to the region across the Strait of Gibraltar. To conclude, viviparous Gyrodactylus reflect parasite speciation across the Strait of Gibraltar and the historical biogeography of cyprinids in the West Mediterranean. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity and Phylogenetics of Parasites in Aquatic Animals)
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