<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2019-0053_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Monogenea is a class of ectoparasitic flatworms on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. Microcotylidae is a family of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans parasitising only marine fishes. This work describes and taxonomically determines a microcotylid polyopisthocotylean monogenean in an important fish in Saudi aquaculture.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2019-0053_s_006">
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>Thirty gilt-head sea bream captured alive from the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia were examined for monogenean infection. Worms were described morphologically and morphometrically by light microscopy and multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees were also constructed after maximum likelihood analysis of the 28S rRNA sequences.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2019-0053_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Seventeen fish were infected by a monogenean parasite in the gill lamellae. It showed a bilobed anterior extremity, two rows of numerous unequal clamps of microcotylid type, and paired muscular vaginae crowned by differently sized spines. The vaginal number and its relative armature suggested the species’ affiliation to group D; the parasite possessed large, muscular vaginae with a full corona of spines over almost the entire width resembling <italic>Bivagina pagrosomi</italic> Murray (1931). The molecular analysis of the parasite 28s rRNA revealed 97% homology with <italic>B. pagrosomi</italic> (AJ577461.1).</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2019-0053_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The results confirmed the taxonomic status of the parasite recorded. On the basis of morphology and molecular data, we consider that several conclusions on the systematic status of microcotylids from Red Sea fishes in Saudi Arabia should be discussed.</p></sec></abstract>

Introduction
Monogenea is a class of ectoparasitic flatworms on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. Microcotylidae is a family of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans parasitising only marine fishes. This work describes and taxonomically determines a microcotylid polyopisthocotylean monogenean in an important fish in Saudi aquaculture.

Material and Methods
Thirty gilt-head sea bream captured alive from the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia were examined for monogenean infection. Worms were described morphologically and morphometrically by light microscopy and multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees were also constructed after maximum likelihood analysis of the 28S rRNA sequences.

Results
Seventeen fish were infected by a monogenean parasite in the gill lamellae. It showed a bilobed anterior extremity, two rows of numerous unequal clamps of microcotylid type, and paired muscular vaginae crowned by differently sized spines. The vaginal number and its relative armature suggested the species’ affiliation to group D; the parasite possessed large, muscular vaginae with a full corona of spines over almost the entire width resembling Bivagina pagrosomi Murray (1931). The molecular analysis of the parasite 28s rRNA revealed 97% homology with B. pagrosomi (AJ577461.1).

Conclusion
The results confirmed the taxonomic status of the parasite recorded. On the basis of morphology and molecular data, we consider that several conclusions on the systematic status of microcotylids from Red Sea fishes in Saudi Arabia should be discussed.

<italic>Bivagina pagrosomi</italic> Murray (1931) (Monogenea: Polyopisthocotylea), a microcotylid infecting the gills of the gilt-head sea bream <italic>Sparus aurata</italic> (Sparidae) from the Red Sea: morphology and phylogeny

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

 Murray (1931) (Monogenea: Polyopisthocotylea), a microcotylid infecting the gills of the gilt-head sea bream  (Sparidae) from the Red Sea: morphology and phylogeny

Introduction
Monogenea is a class of ectoparasitic flatworms on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. Microcotylidae is a family of polyopisthocotylean monogeneans...

Bivagina pagrosomi Murray (1931) (Monogenea: Polyopisthocotylea), a microcotylid infecting the gills of the gilt-head sea bream Sparus aurata (Sparidae) from the Red Sea: morphology and phylogeny

Published Online: Sep 13, 2019

Page range: 345 - 352

Received: Feb 08, 2019

Accepted: Aug 12, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2019-0053

Keywords
Monogenea, Microcotylidae, morphology, molecular study

© 2019 S.B. Dajem et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Bivagina pagrosomi Murray (1931) (Monogenea: Polyopisthocotylea), a microcotylid infecting the gills of the gilt-head sea bream Sparus aurata (Sparidae) from the Red Sea: morphology and phylogeny

Published Online: Sep 13, 2019

Page range: 345 - 352

Received: Feb 08, 2019

Accepted: Aug 12, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2019-0053

KeywordsMonogenea, Microcotylidae, morphology, molecular study

© 2019 S.B. Dajem et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Monogenea, Microcotylidae, morphology, molecular study