''Microcotyle donavini'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

monogenean 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 ...

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

on the

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

of a marine

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

. It belongs to the family

Microcotylidae Microcotylidae is a family of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans.WoRMS (2018). Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879. Accessed at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=119247 on 2018-12-03 All the species in this family are parasitic on ...

Taxonomy

''Microcotyle donavini'' was described by Van Beneden & Hesse in 1863.Van Beneden, P. J., & Hesse, C. E. (1863). Recherches sur les Bdellodes (Hirudinées) et les trématodes marins: Mémoire présenté à l'Académie Royale de Belgique. Mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 34, 1-150 + Plates. This species was redescribed by Scott (1905) who gave one figure Scott (T.), 1905. — Observations on some parasites new or rare in Scottish waters. 23, rd. Rep. Fish. Bd. Scot. (3) Sci. Invest. p. 108-119 fig. and by

Euzet Euzet (; oc, Euset) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gard department This is a list of the 351 Communes of France, communes of the Gard Departments of France, department of France. ...

& Marc in 1963, one hundred years later. ''Microcotyle donavini'' is the type-species of the genus '' Microcotyle''. Unnithan (1971) placed ''M. donavini'' in the nominal subgenus ''Microcotyle'' as ''Microcotyle (Microcotyle) donavini''.Unnithan, R. V. (1971). On the functional morphology of a new fauna of Monogenoidea on fishes from Trivandrum and environs. Part IV. Microcotylidae sensu stricto and its repartition into subsidiary taxa. American Midland Naturalist, 366-398. However, this species was returned to the genus '' Microcotyle'' by Mamaev in 1986. Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199-206
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Morphology

''Microcotyle donavini'' has the general morphology of all species of '' Microcotyle'', with a symmetrical body, comprising an anterior part which contains most organs and a posterior part called the

haptor The haptor is the attachment organ of the monogeneans, a group of parasitic Platyhelminthes. The haptor is sometimes called opisthaptor (from ''opistho-'': behind) to emphasize that it is located in the posterior part of the body, and to differe ...

. The haptor is symmetrical, and bears 86

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 ...

, arranged as two rows, one on each side. The clamps of the haptor attach the animal to the

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

of the fish. There are also two buccal oval suckers, septated, located at the anterior extremity. The digestive organs include an anterior, terminal mouth, a pharynx, an

oesophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the ...

and a posterior

intestine The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

with two lateral branches provided with numerous secondary branches. Each adult contains male and female reproductive organs. The reproductive organs include an anterior oval genital atrium, armed with numerous small spines, a medio-dorsal

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

opening at 750 µm from the anterior extremity, a single

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

and 18-22 oval

testes A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testoster ...

which are posterior to the ovary. The eggs are fusiform, with a filament at each pole; one is short and thick.

Hosts and localities

The host-type is ''

Labrus bergylta The ballan wrasse (''Labrus bergylta'') is a species of marine ray finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it inhabits rocky areas. Like many wrasse species, it is a protogynous hermaphr ...

''. The type-locality is off

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

, France.

Gallery

Drawings of various organs or stages of ''Microcotyle donavini'', by

& Marc, 1963. Microcotyle donavini (Microcotylidae) Atrium (Euzet & Marc).png, Section of genital atrium Microcotyle donavini (Microcotylidae) Clamps (Euzet & Marc).png, Clamp Microcotyle donavini (Microcotylidae) Oncomiracidium & Egg (Euzet & Marc).png,

Oncomiracidium An oncomiracidium is the ciliated and free-living larva of a monogenean, a type of parasitic flatworm commonly found on fish. It is similar to the miracidium of Trematoda, but has sclerotised Sclerotin is a component of the cuticle of various A ...

& egg Microcotyle donavini (Microcotylidae) Lappet (Euzet & Marc).png, Lappet at extremity of

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3941250 Microcotylidae Parasites of fish Animals described in 1863 Fauna of France