Publication details
Unveiling the diversity and evolutionary patterns of Gyrodactylus (Gyrodactylidae) communities in Nearctic cypriniform fish hosts: insights from species richness, morphology, and molecular phylogeny
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | Despite the vast diversity of freshwater fishes in the Nearctic region, our understanding of the community composition of viviparous monogeneans belonging to genus Gyrodactylus, as well as their phylogenetic relationships within congeners worldwide, remains limited. In this study, we conducted morphological and genetic analyses of Gyrodactylus spp. parasitizing a wide range of cypriniform fish species found in North American watersheds across the USA and Canada. Our comprehensive examination, combining taxonomically significant haptoral features with sequencing of the ITS regions and the 18S rDNA, identified 25 Gyrodactylus spp. parasitizing members of Catostomidae and Leuciscidae. Remarkably, ten of these monogenean species were newly discovered. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS region sequences revealed the paraphyletic origin of Nearctic Gyrodactylus lineages and their close relationship with Palearctic congeners, suggesting dispersal events between continents. In the Nearctic region, we observed a trend in the evolution of haptoral structures in Gyrodactylus spp., from relatively simple forms to more complex ones, mirroring patterns seen in other monogenean taxa. Haptoral sclerites of Gyrodactylus spp. exhibited a spectrum of morphotypes, ranging from structures resembling those found in Gyrodactylus communities with global distributions to configurations predominantly seen in Nearctic lineages. Characteristic features of "Nearctic" morphotypes included a median knob in the ventral bar and plate-like membranes or additional filaments attached to the handles of marginal hooks. Our integrative approach also provided insights into ongoing gene flow, host-switching in generalist Gyrodactylus spp., and the regional translocation of monogenean fauna through fish introductions. These findings shed light on the evolutionary dynamics and ecological interactions shaping Gyrodactylus communities in North American freshwater ecosystems. |
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