Description of a new genus of crustacean (Copepoda, Ergasilidae) parasite from the urinary bladder of non-migratory fishes in a tributary from the Araguaia-Bananal Ecological Corridor, Brazil

• Grant number: 11/09376-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 04, 2011
• End date: October 03, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Principal Investigator: Daniele Fernanda Rosim
• Grantee: Daniele Fernanda Rosim
• Host Investigator: Geoffrey Allan Boxshall
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Peixes Continentais (CEPTA). Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBIO). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Natural History Museum, London, England

Abstract

A new genus and probably two new species of parasitic copepods from the family Ergasilidae will be described. Specimens were collected from inside the urinary bladder of Hoplias malabaricus (Erythrinidae) and Cichla monoculus (Cichlidae). Fishes were collected during an expedition coordinated by 'Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Peixes Continentais' (CEPTA/ICMBio) to the Cristalino River (13o 22' 20.2'' S e 50o 52' 8.5'' W), a tributary of the Araguaia River nearby Bananal Island, Goiás, Brazil. Our goals during this visit to the Natural History Museum, London are to describe the morphology of the novel taxa, to interpret their morphology, and to estimate the phylogenetic relationships of the new genus within the family Ergasilidae. The objectives will be accomplished by access to the state-of-the-art laboratories, excellent libraries and comprehensive collections of the NHM, as well as by exchanging knowledge with the world's leading experts in morphology, systematics and evolution of copepods. The discovery of a parasitic copepod in the urinary bladder of fishes is unique and new to science and from this record, fish parasitologists should now include the bladder in their routine examination for copepods. The description of the new ergasilid will improve our knowledge of the diversity of copepod parasites of fishes from Brazil. As a long term outcome, a better understanding regarding the evolution of this curious association may be achieved. (AU)