Redescription and New Host Record of Diplostamenides Sciaenae (Monogenea, Microcotylidae) and Its Phylogenetic Status Using Molecular Markers

Abstract

Abstract A new host and new locality is recorded for Diplostamenides sciaenae (Goto, 1894) Lebedev, Parukhin et Roitman, 1970 from Johnius belangerii at Versova dock landing centre, Mumbai, India. The morphometric comparison of D. sciaenae with previously published data, provided redescription complements results of molecular analysis. The partial 28S and 18S rRNA gene sequences of D. sciaenae were amplified, sequenced through PCR and deposited to GenBank database. The BLASTn searches revealed the significant closeness of D. sciaenae to other microcotylid parasites in large and small ribosomal subunits. Th e phylogenetic tree analyses with neighbor joining and minimum evolution methods also expressed belonging of D. sciaenae to Microcotylidae.