Patterns of digenean parasitism of bivalves from the Great Barrier Reef and associated waters

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan J. Bott ◽  
John M. Healy ◽  
Thomas H. Cribb

Digenean parasites of marine bivalves are relatively poorly known, particularly in Australia. We surveyed 2256 bivalve individuals (47 species, 17 families) from Queensland marine waters incorporating south-east Queensland, Heron Island (southern Great Barrier Reef) and Lizard Island (northern Great Barrier Reef). Infections of trematode species from three families, Bucephalidae, Gorgoderidae and Monorchiidae, were found. Overall prevalence of infection was 2.3%. The Bucephalidae was the most commonly found family; 11 species were found in Tellinidae, Ostreidae, Isognomonidae and Spondylidae – the latter two previously unknown as hosts for bucephalids. A single gorgoderid infection was found in a venerid, Lioconcha castrensis. Five species of monorchiids were found from Tellinidae and Lucinidae. All infections are new host/parasite records. No infections were found in 35 of the 47 bivalve species sampled. The generally low prevalence of infection by digeneans of bivalves suggests that it is unlikely that any of the species reported here are seriously damaging to bivalve populations in these waters. We deduce that, at best, we have some life-cycle information but no actual identifications for 10% of the species of trematodes that infect bivalves of Queensland marine waters.

Parasitology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 138 (13) ◽  
pp. 1710-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. MILLER ◽  
R. A. BRAY ◽  
T. H. CRIBB

SUMMARYThe taxonomy of trematodes of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) fishes has been studied in some detail for over 20 years. Understanding of the fauna has been informed iteratively by approaches to sampling, understanding of morphology, the advent of molecular methodology and a feed-back loop from the emergent understanding of host specificity. Here we analyse 658 host-parasite combinations for 290 trematode species, 152 genera and 28 families from GBR fishes. These are reported from 8 orders, 38 families, 117 genera and 243 species of fishes. Of the 290 species, only 4 (1·4%) have been reported from more than one order of fishes and just 23 (7·9%) infect more than one family; 77·9% of species are known from only one genus, and 60% from only one species of fish. Molecular studies have revealed several complexes of cryptic species and others are suspected; we conclude that no euryxenous host distribution should be accepted on the basis of morphology only. The occurrence of individual trematode species in potential hosts is patchy and difficult to predict reliablya priorior explain convincinglya posteriori. These observations point to the need for a vigorous iterative interaction between the accretion of host specificity data and its interpretation.


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2260 (1) ◽  
pp. 927-930
Author(s):  
J. K. LOWRY ◽  
H. E. STODDART

One species of wandinid amphipod is reported from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Wandin griffini Lowry & Stoddart is known from Lizard Island, One Tree Island and reefs on the Outer Barrier, living among rubble usually at the base of living coral. The species is rare in this habitat.


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney Bray ◽  
Thomas Cribb ◽  
Andrea Waeschenbach ◽  
D. Littlewood

AbstractA new species of Acanthocolpidae, Stephanostomum adlardi is described from the serranid Plectropomus leopardus from Lizard Island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. It differs from all previously described acanthocolpids in the structure of the oral sucker which is extended into dorsal and ventral lobes each bearing a row of spines. A phylogenetic tree estimated from combined nuclear small and partial large ribosomal RNA gene sequences shows that, despite the unusual oral sucker structure, the species is a true member of the genus Stephanostomum. The molecular results also suggest that Monostephanostomum nolani is derived from within Stephanostomum.


2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Zeller ◽  
G. R. Russ

A mark–release–resighting (MRR) technique was used to estimate population size of the coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, on coral reefs fringing Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Fish were captured by hook-and-line fishing, and marked with individual freeze-brand numbers in August 1995. An underwater visual census (UVC) technique was used during September and October 1995 both for resighting of marked fish and to make an independent estimate of fish density and thus population size. The study area was 750 966 m2 . The UVC sampled 154 000 m2 (20.5%) of this area. Six different methods of analysis of MRR gave similar population size estimates (e.g. Petersen 12 873; 95% CI 9989–15 754) extrapolated to the 4.5 million-m2 reef area from datum to 20-m depth around Lizard Island. UVC gave a population size estimate (24 182; 95% CI 21 860–26 504) twice that of MRR. The lower estimate derived from MRR may be the result of tag-induced mortality, or of the relative difficulty in discriminating between marked and unmarked trout by UVC. This is only the second estimate of population size of coral trout on an area of the Great Barrier Reef.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1514 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHLEY ROBERTS-THOMSON ◽  
NATHAN J. BOTT

Prosorhynchoides thomasi n. sp. (Digenea: Bucephalidae) is described from the intestine of the fang blennies, Plagiotremus tapeinosoma and P. rhinorhynchos (Blenniidae: Nemophini) from off Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.  The new species is differentiated from other species of Prosorhynchoides Dollfus, 1929 that also have testes which are symmetrical or nearly symmetrical by the shape and direction of the caecum and the position of the ovary relative to the caecum.  This is the first report of a new species, but the second report of adult bucephalids from Plagiotremus spp.  Prosorhynchoides thomasi n. sp. likely exploits the habit of Plagiotremus spp. of mimicking cleaner wrasse (Labridae) behaviour and micropredation on ‘client’ fish.  We have not encountered this species from other blennies or from other teleost families known to be infected with bucephalids from the Great Barrier Reef


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2260 (1) ◽  
pp. 463-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEAN JUST

Eight species in the Ischyroceridae are reported from Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Five species are new to science: Coxischyrocerus rhombocoxus gen. et sp. nov., Tropischyrocerus pugilus gen. et sp. nov., Cerapus nudus sp. nov., Ericthonius parabrasiliensis sp. nov., and Ericthonius tropicalis sp. nov. Ericthonius pugnax Dana is new to the Great Barrier Reef. Ambicholestes magellani (Just) and Cerapus volucola Lowry & Berents have been recorded previously from the area. A single specimen, possibly a new species, is reported as Ericthonius sp. Ischyrocerus inexpectatus Ruffo (Mediterranean Sea) is transferred to Coxischyrocerus. Ischyrocerus socia (Myers) from Bora Bora is transferred to Tropischyrocerus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4019 (1) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA K. KUPRIYANOVA ◽  
YANAN SUN ◽  
HARRY A. TEN HOVE ◽  
EUNICE WONG ◽  
GREG W. ROUSE

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