Microcotyle branchiostegi explained

Microcotyle branchiostegi is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae. ^[1]

Taxonomy

Microcotyle branchiostegi was first described by Yamaguti in 1937 from the gills of the horsehead tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus off Japan. ^[1] Unnithan (1971) placed this species in the new genus and subgenus Caenomicrocotyle as Caenomicrocotyle (Caenomicrocotyle) branchiostegi.^[2] However, this genus and this subgenus were returned into the genus Microcotyle by Mamaev. ^[3]

Hosts and localities

The type-host is the horsehead tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus (Malacanthidae). The type-locality is off Japan. ^[1]

Notes and References

1. Yamaguti, S. (1937a). Studies on the Helminth Fauna of Japan. Part 17. Trematodes From a Marine Fish, Branchiostegus japonicus (Houttuyn). Published by the author. pp. 1–19.
2. 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.
3. Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199-206. PDF