Phylogenetics of Monogenean Parasites in Marine Fishes

Monogenean parasites, a diverse class of platyhelminths predominantly inhabiting the gills and skin of marine teleosts, present formidable challenges for taxonomy and fish health management. Phylogenetic approaches, integrating morphological characters of the haptor with molecular markers such as 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1), have substantially refined our understanding of species boundaries, host specificity and evolutionary relationships. These analyses reveal frequent cases of cryptic speciation and illustrate how long-term host–parasite coevolution shapes global distribution patterns, from amphiamerican lineages to regionally endemic clades. Advances in sequencing throughput and analytical frameworks now enable the reconstruction of robust phylogenies that inform both fundamental systematics and practical applications in aquaculture biosecurity. By elucidating lineage divergence and character evolution, phylogenetic studies guide accurate identification, reveal emerging parasite threats and underpin targeted control measures for sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity conservation.

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Phylogenetics of Monogenean Parasites in Marine Fishes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in phylogenetics of monogenean parasites in marine fishes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Monogenea: A class of ectoparasitic flatworms chiefly attaching to fish gills or skin.

Phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms using morphological or molecular data.

28S rRNA gene: A segment of ribosomal DNA widely used for reconstructing deep phylogenetic relationships in parasites.

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1/COI): A mitochondrial gene marker frequently employed for species-level differentiation and barcoding.

Haptor: The attachment organ of monogeneans, bearing clamps, hooks or discs, critical for morphological systematics.

References

1. Novel molecular data for monogenean parasites of sparid fishes in the Mediterranean and a molecular phylogeny of the Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879. Current Research in Parasitology and Vector-Borne Diseases (2021).
2. Morphological and molecular (28S rRNA) data of monogeneans (Platyhelminthes) infecting the gill lamellae of marine fishes in the Campeche Bank, southwest Gulf of Mexico. ZooKeys (2018).
3. A Monogenean Gill Parasite within the Genus Haliotrema (Ancyrocephalidae) Infecting Argyrops filamentosus Fish: Morphology and Molecular Studies. Animals (2023).