Two new species of Microcotyle (Monogenea: Microcotylidae) on intertidal fish from the south Pacific coast

Microcotyle is one of the most diverse and controversial genera within the family Microcotylidae. To date, 131 species have been described in Microcotyle; however, more than half have been transferred to other genera, and several others have poor descriptions. Therefore, less than half of all Microcotyle species may be considered valid. In Chile, two species have been recognized, and unidentified Microcotyle have been found on several littoral fish, but there has been no effort to properly identify them. In this study, two new species of Microcotyle are taxonomically described from intertidal fish of the central (33°S) and south-central (36°S) regions of Chile. In this study, Microcotyle sprostonae n. sp. (collected mainly from Scartichthys viridis in central Chile) and M. chilensis n. sp. (collected mainly from Calliclinus geniguttatus in south-central Chile) were identified based on morphological and molecular analyses (ITS2 and 18S genes). Both species of Microcotyle principally differed from one another and from other valid species in the number of testes and clamps. The two new species also differed from one another by one base pair in the ITS2 and 18S genes and differed from other species of Microcotyle by several base pairs of both genes. Intertidal fish are mostly endemic to the Pacific coast of South America, and they have a limited geographical distribution that does not overlap with the type hosts of other Microcotyle species. Therefore, the two new species described here are distinguished from other congeneric species by morphological, genetic, and biological characteristics.

Geographic and ontogenetic variations in parasite communities of intertidal fish species from the south-eastern Pacific coast

Parasite composition can be affected by physiological and ecological changes during host ontogeny. Intertidal fish do not travel long distances and live in the same area throughout their lifetimes, meaning that parasite communities can differ across geographic ranges. The objective of this study was to analyse the parasite communities of three fish species (Hypsoblennius sordidus, Helcogrammoides cunninghami and Scartichthys viridis) collected from the Chilean coast. The composition of parasite species was compared among host ontogenetic stages (larvae, juveniles and mature fish) and geographic areas. A total of 184 larval, 252 juveniles and 217 mature individuals were collected in the northern area (c. 24°S), and 186 larval, 192 juveniles and 112 mature individuals from the central area (c. 33°S). Ectoparasites were most prevalent in fish from the central area, whereas endoparasites were most prevalent in the northern area. The parasite species richness varied significantly between geographical areas for H. sordidus and H. cunninghami, but the parasite composition varied significantly between geographical areas for all fish species analysed. Therefore, the geographical area was the most important factor determining the parasite composition of intertidal fish species. The absence of endoparasites in fish larvae and the increased infestation in juvenile and mature fish may be explained by the shift in habitat from the water column to intertidal pools where prey abundance and availability are higher. On the other hand, hydrographic barriers affecting prey distributions may also offer an explanation as to the differences in parasite composition.