MORPHOLOGY AND PHYLOGENY OF DACTYLOGYRUS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REVEALING UNEXPECTED DIVERSITY
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| Citation | |
| Description | Despite several studies focusing on the diversity of Dactylogyrus species (Monogenea) in the Middle East, some knowledge gaps still need to be addressed, especially considering missing molecular data. Considering the Middle East’s role as a crossroad for cyprinoid fish species to disperse from East Asia to Europe and North Africa, we aimed to investigate the diversity, phylogeny, and host specificity of Dactylogyrus in the Middle East with an emphasis to explore cyprinoid historical dispersion through phylogenetic relationships of their Dactylogyrus species. In 2022, cyprinoid fish were sampled in Turkey and Iran, and the Dactylogyrus specimens were collected. Sixty-five Dactylogyrus species were identified on 55 cyprinoid species. To assess the Dactylogyrus diversity and phylogeny, partial 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and complete ITS1 region were sequenced. Performing phylogenetic analyses using the Middle East Dactylogyrus spp. and selected Dactylogyrus spp. retrieved from GenBank we revealed seven major clades, with the representatives of the Middle Eastern species positioned in four clades. The Middle East-specific Dactylogyrus species were grouped with European, North African, and East Asian species, confirming the role of the Middle East in Dactylogyrus diversification and cyprinoid historical dispersion. Four potentially new species for science were revealed in Turkey. Dactylogyrus goktschaicus showed unexpected genetic intraspecific variability despite the similarity in morphological characteristics. Further, morphological and molecular intraspecific variability was found in D. lenkorani. Surprisingly, the intraspecific variability in D. goktschaicus at the host species level and D. lenkorani at the geographical level indicated unexplored Dactylogyrus diversity on cyprinoids in the Middle East. |
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