Microcotyle toba is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae.[3]

Microcotyle toba
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Monogenea
Order: Mazocraeidea
Family: Microcotylidae
Genus: Microcotyle
Species:
M. toba
Binomial name
Microcotyle toba
Ishii & Sawada, 1938
Synonyms
  • Microcotyle (Microcotyle) toba (Ishii & Sawada, 1938) Unnithan, 1971[1]
  • Paramicrocotyle toba (Ishii & Sawada, 1938) Caballero & Bravo-Hollis, 1972[2]

Systematics

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Microcotyle toba was first described by Ishii & Sawada in 1938 as Microcotyla toba. The original description of this worm was in Japanese.[4] In 1938, Ishii & Sawada published an English descriptions of this species.[3]

In 1971, Microcotyle toba was included in the subgenus Microcotyle as Microcotyle (Microcotyle) toba.[1] This species was transferred by Caballero & Bravo-Hollis to the genus Paramicrocotyle as Paramicrocotyle toba.[2] Mamaev, in his revision of the family Microcotylidae, suppressed this combination, reassigned the species to the genus Microcotyle as Microcotyle toba and considered Paramicrocotyle a junior subjective synonym of Microcotyle.[5]

Morphology

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Microcotyle toba has the general morphology of all species of Microcotyle, with a symmetrical spindel-shaped body, and comprising an anterior part which contains most organs and a posterior part called the haptor. The haptor is narrow, not well delineated from body proper, and bears 23 pairs of clamps. The clamps of the haptor attach the animal to the gill of the fish. There are also two oval anterior buccal suckers placed ventrolaterally in the buccal cavity. The digestive organs include an anterior, terminal mouth, a small oval muscular pharynx, a very short oesophagus and a posterior intestine with two lateral branches provided with many ramifications which enters the vitellaria. Each adult contains male and female reproductive organs. The reproductive organs include an anterior genital atrium armed with numerous conical pointed slightly recurved spines, a dorsal vagina, a single S-shaped ovary, 25-30 of follicular testes which are postovarian and situated in the intercecal field.[3]

Diagnosis

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According to Ishii & Sawada, Microcotyle toba is most closely related to Microcotyle hiatulae, it can be distinguished from it by the number of testes, shape of ovary and of intestine, and measurements.[3]

Etymology

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The specific epithet toba refers to Toba, the type-locality of Microcotyle toba.[3]

Hosts and localities

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The mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens is the type-host of Microcotyle toba

The type-host of Microcotyle toba is the mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens (Siganidae). The type-locality is Toba, Japan.[4][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Unnithan, R. Viswanathan (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. 85 (2): 366–398. doi:10.2307/2423763. ISSN 0003-0031. JSTOR 2423763.
  2. ^ a b Caballero y Caballero, E., & Bravo-Hollis, M. (1972). Monogenea (van Beneden, 1858) Carus, 1863 de peces marinos del litoral Mexicano del Golfo de Mexico y del Mar Caribe. Revista de Biología Tropical, 20, 151-165. PDF  
  3. ^ a b c d e f Ishii, N. and Sawada, T. (1938a). Studies on the ectoparasitic trematodes. In: Nieva, A. (Ed.) Livro Jubilar do Professor Lauro Travassos: Editado para Commemorar o 25 Anniversario de suas Actividades Scientificas (1913–1938). Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro. 231–243.
  4. ^ a b 石井信太郎・澤田利貞 (1937). 外部寄生性吸蟲類ノ研究. 日本寄生虫学会記事 9: 93-97. (Ishii, N. and Sawada, T. (1937). [Studies on the ectoparasitic trematodes]. Nihon Kiseichū Gakkai Kiji 9: 3-97. [In Japanese])
  5. ^ Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199-206. PDF