''Diclidophora nezumiae'' is a species of
monogenea
Monogeneans are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reprod ...
n flatworm that parasitizes the gills of the
rattail fish ''
Nezumia bairdii
''Nezumia'' is a genus of rattails. The generic name derives from the Japanese 鼠 (''nezumi''), meaning "mouse".
Species
There are currently 53 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Nezumia aequalis'' ( Günther, 1878) (Common Atlantic grenad ...
''. Due to a highly localized host habitat parasite incidence is relatedly localized to the Hudson Submarine Canyon.
Description
''D. nezumiae'' are similar in body shape to smaller ''
Diclidophora
''Diclidophora'' is a genus of flatworms belonging to the family Diclidophoridae.
The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most ...
'' species, with shorter bodies that taper to a maximum width at the first pair of
clamps
Clamp may refer to:
Tools and devices
*Brick clamp, an early method of baking bricks
*Clamp (tool), a device or tool used to hold objects in a fixed relative position (many types listed)
**C-clamp
**C-clamp (stagecraft)
**Riser clamp, a device u ...
; 8 posterior clamps in total. Unlike other ''Diclidophora'' species, ''D. nezumiae'' have clamps that are wider than they are long, relatively small clamp suckers, postovarian testes and unlobed seminal receptacle on right side of ovary. An N- or U-shaped ovary is present in the posterior end of body. Eggs are elliptical and filamented, and larval stages are highly ciliated.
Development
Like all monogeneans, ''D. nezumia''e has no intermediate host and is ectoparasitic. It is hermaphroditic, with the male reproductive organs becoming functional prior to the female organs. Filamented egg development leads to a highly ciliated larval stage known as the
oncomiracidium that contains several posterior hooks, and is responsible for host to host transmission.
Epidemiology
The parasite is highly localized, affecting deep living benthic fish. The fish ''Nezumia bairdii'' in the Hudson Submarine Canyon, off the coast of New York City and Long Island, is the known host for this species, with an approximate 30% prevalence among fish and common infections incurring low numbers of parasites ranging up to 20 per host.
Habitat
Living at depths beyond 300 meters below sea level, ''N. bairdi''i is the most abundant macrourid, showing highest rates of incidence and intensity at depths ranging between 700-1000m. Parasitism is rare for hosts that live at greater depths than 2500m.
Symptoms
''D. nezumiae'' are blood feeders, leeching off the gills of their host. Adults and immature worms prefer the gill arches while mature worms show preference for the dorsal one third of the hemibranch. Symptoms may include those similar to other monogeneans, such as ''
Dactylogyrus
''Dactylogyrus'' is a genus of monogeneans in the Dactylogyridae family.
Like other monogeneans, species of ''Dactylogyrus'' only have one host required to complete their life cycle.
Introduction
Members of ''Dactylogyrus'' (common name: Gil ...
'', with inflamed gills, excessive mucous secretion, and accelerated respiration. Lethargy and appetite decrease are also possible but have not been recorded.
References
*
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q30673117
Polyopisthocotylea
Diclidophoridae