Checklist of symbionts in Hyalella (Amphipoda, Hyalellidae) from South America

Abstract

Despite their ecological importance, research on symbionts of amphipods has been limited in South America. The present study provides a comprehensive overview of symbiont organisms in the freshwater amphipods of the genus Hyalella in South America. Our findings reveal various taxa such as Apicomplexa, Microspora, Peritrichia, Folliculinidae, trematodes, nematodes, cestodes and acanthocephalans, often involving complex life cycles. Studies on symbionts have been done almost exclusively in Argentinean Patagonia. The present overview allows us to know the species that use amphipods, to elucidate their lifecycles and to know their occurrence values.