Phyllodistomum vaili(Plagiorchiida: Gorgoderidae) infecting Parupeneus rubescens (Perciformes: Mullidae): morphology and phylogeny

Abstract Knowledge of the Arabian Gulf fish’s parasite fauna is very poor. Until recently, only scattered reports from different locations are known for ecto- and endoparasites. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the digenean species that infects one of the most economically fish species in the Arabian Gulf, the rosy goatfish Parupeneus rubescens . One plagiorchiid species has been described, belonging to the Gorgoderidae family, and has been named as Phyllodistomum vaili Ho, Bray, Cutmore, Ward & Cribb, 2014 based on its morphological and morphometric characteristics. In order to accurately classify and characterize this plagiorchiid species, molecular analysis was carried out using both nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA gene regions and revealed that the present plagiorchiid species was associated with other species belonging to the Gorgoderidae family and deeply embedded in the Phyllodistomum genus, closely related to the previously described P. vaili (gb| KF013187.1, KF013173.1). The present study therefore revealed that the species Phyllodistomum is the first account as endoparasites from the rosy goatfish inhabiting the Arabian Gulf.

目前学界对阿拉伯海湾鱼类寄生动物区系的基础认知仍极为匮乏。直至近期，学界仅能获取不同采样点发布的关于其体表与体内寄生虫的零散报道。为此，本研究旨在调查阿拉伯海湾高经济价值鱼类之一——红身副绯鲤（Parupeneus rubescens）所感染的复殖吸虫（digenean）物种。本研究记述了一种隶属于叶茎科（Gorgoderidae）的斜睾类吸虫，依据形态学与形态计量学特征，将其命名为*Phyllodistomum vaili* Ho, Bray, Cutmore, Ward & Cribb, 2014。为精准分类与表征该斜睾类吸虫物种，本研究采用核18S及28S核糖体RNA（rRNA）基因区域开展分子分析，结果显示该物种与叶茎科其他物种聚类，且嵌套于叶茎属（Phyllodistomum）的系统发育分支内，与已报道的*P. vaili*（GenBank登录号：KF013187.1、KF013173.1）亲缘关系密切。综上，本研究首次报道了阿拉伯海湾红身副绯鲤体内寄生叶茎属吸虫的记录。