Monopistoctyl (Platyhelmithes, Monopisthocotyla) parasites of Hypostomus derbyi (Haseman, 1911) and Hypostomus myersi (Gosline, 1947) (Loricariidae) from the Floriano River Basin, Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil

• Grant number: 25/19663-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Inland Water Fishery Resources
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo José da Silva
• Grantee: Anna Helena Del Sole Queiroz Carvalho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fishes have the greatest number and variety of parasites of any other vertebrate class, having lived for a long time in close association with the greatest variety of invertebrates. However, studies involving helminth parasites of fish are scarce when considering the diversity of hosts in the Neotropical region and the constant anthropogenic interventions that have led to a drastic reduction in the biodiversity of these hosts and, consequently, of their parasites. The genus Hypostomus is one of the most diverse and complex groups of South American loricariids, consisting of approximately 130 species. The Paraná River basin is home to more than 30 species of this genus, including Hypostomus derbyi and Hypostomus myersi. To date, there have been no specific studies on parasitic helminths infecting H. myersi. For H. derbyi, some parasites have been recorded, but no monopistoctyl species have been recorded to date infecting this host. Thus, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the monopistoctyl parasites of H. derbyi and H. myersi (Loricariidae) from the Floriano River Basin, Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil, through integrative taxonomy of morphological and molecular data.