Family DIPLECTANIDAE Bychowsky, 1957

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Introduction

The Diplectanidae Monticelli, 1903 is represented worldwide by approximately 250 species, occurring primarily on the gills of marine perciforms fishes (Oliver 1984). At first glance, these smal oviparous monogeneans can be easily confused with members of the Dactylogyridae because of their similar size, location between adjacent secondary gill lamellae and the presence of two opposing paris of hamuli with supporting bars and 14 hooklets (from Whittington & Chisholm 2008). Most diplectanids can be distinguished readily from dactylogyrids by the presence of circular friction pads known as squamodiscs on the haptor, just anterior to the hamuli and supporting bars. Squamodiscs are unique to the Diplectanidae (Whittington & Chisholm 2008).

The family represents a monophyletic group within Dactylogyrinea (Dactylogyridae (Diplectanidae + Pseudomurraytrematidae) (Kritsky & Boeger 1989; Boeger & Kritsky 1993, 1997, 2001). Diplectanidae is historically diagnosed by the combination of the following characters: (1) accessory adhesive organs (squamodiscs or lamellodiscs); (2) three transversal bars connected to two pairs of anchors (dorsal, ventral); and (3) pretesticular germarium, looping right intestinal caecum (Domingues & Boeger 2008). Five subfamilies are recognised: Diplectaninae Monticelli, 1903; Lamellodiscinae, Oliver, 1969; Murraytrematoidinae Oliver, 1982; Rhabdosynochinae Oliver, 1987; and Rhamnocercinae Monaco, Wood & Mizelle, 1954.

In Australia, the Diplectanidae aer represented by two of the subfamilies, 10 genera and nearly 40 species.

General References

Boeger, W.A. & Kritsky, D.C. 1993. Phylogeny and a revised classification of the Monogenoidea Bychowsky, 1937 (Platyhelminthes). Systematic Parasitology 26: 1-32

Boeger, W.A. & Kritsky, D.C. 1997. Coevolution of the Monogenoidea (Platyhelminthes) based on a revised hypothesis of parasite phylogeny. International Journal for Parasitology 27: 1495-1511

Boeger, W.A. & Kritsky, D.C. 2001. Interrelationships of the Monogenoidea. pp. 92-102 in Littlewood, D.J.T. & Bray, R.A. (eds). Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes. London, UK : The Systematics Association, Taylor & Francis 356 pp.

Domingues, M.V. & Boeger, W.A. 2008. Phylogeny and revision of Diplectanidae Monticelli, 1903 (Platyhelminthes: Monogenoidea). Zootaxa 1698: 1-40

Kritsky, D.C. & Boeger, W.A. 1989. The phylogenetic status of Ancyrocephalidae Bychowsky, 1937 (Monogenea: Dactylogyroidea). Journal of Parasitology 75: 207-211

Oliver, G. 1982. Quelques aspects de la spécifiticité parasitaire chez les Diplectanidae Bychowsky, 1957 (Monogenea, Monopisthocotylea). Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [published 1907-1971] 123: 295-301

Oliver, G. 1984. Some species of the genus Calydiscoides Young (Monogenea, Monopisthocotylea, Diplectanidae), perciform parasites from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Zoologica Scripta 13(3): 189-193

Whittington, I.D. & Chisholm, L.A. 2008. Diseases caused by Monogenea. pp. 683-816 in Eiras, J.C., Segner, H., Wahli, T. & Kapoor, B.G. (eds). Fish Diseases. New Hampshire : Science Publishers Vol. 2.

Whittington, I.D. & Chisholm, L.A. 2008. Diseases caused by Monogenea. pp. 683-816 in Eiras, J.C., Segner, H., Wahli, T. & Kapoor, B.G. (eds). Fish Diseases. New Hampshire : Science Publishers Vol. 2. [756]

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