Biodiversity of the helminth parasites of the dominant siluriform fishes from the Aguapeí river, Castilho, São Paulo, Brazil

Author(s)

Aline Angelina Acosta

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Botucatu. 2017-04-25.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Botucatu
• Defense date: 2017-02-20
• Advisor: Reinaldo José da Silva

Abstract

Fishes of the order Siluriformes, known as catfishes, have a worldwide distribution with more than 2,800 recognized species. Approximately 1,700 species are found in America, mainly in the Neotropical region. Despite being highly diverse, abundant, and of economic importance as food and ornamental fishes, the knowledge about their helminth parasites is fragmentary and insufficient. Eight species of catfishes (Pterodoras granulosus, Trachydoras paraguayensis, Pimelodella avanhandavae, Loricariichthys platymetopon, Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii, Rhinelepis aspera, Hemisorubim platyrhynchos, and Sorubim lima) from the Aguapeí River, Upper Paraná River basin, municipality of Castilho, São Paulo State, Brazil, were surveyed for helmint parasites. Fifty-four helminth parasite taxa were found: 25 monogeneans, 15 digeneans, 11 nematodes, and three cestodes. Based on new molecular (13 new dactylogyrids sequences of the 28S rDNA) and morphological data, a diagnosis amendment of the dactylogyrid genus Demidospermus (with a new species description) is proposed, a new dactylogyrid genus is erected with description of a new species is also proposed, and generic assignment of unidentified taxa for which molecular data are available is briefly discussed. The dactylogyrid genus Heteropriapulus is reviewed, five newly described species from loricariids are described, and also first molecular data (partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene) are provided for three taxa including the type species Heteropriapulus heterotylus. A new nematode species of Spinitectus is described based on morphological observations. Spinitectus aguapeiensis n. sp. is the first record of a nematode species in Pimelodella avanhandavae, the fourth record of this genus in the Paraná River basin, and the sixth species of this genus in South America. By providing new host records, new geographical records, and putative new species to science, the survey of the helminthfauna of these host species has considerably increased the knowledge on the vast and far to be known diversity of Neotropical siluriform fish parasites. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/22895-7 - Helminth biodiversity of dominant fish species from Aguapeí River, RPPN Foz do Aguapeí, São Paulo State, Brazil
• Grantee: Aline Angelina Acosta
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate