Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika:
reduced host specificity and support for the classification of
host tribes.

a 2017

Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika: reduced host specificity and support for the classification of host tribes.

KMENTOVÁ, Nikol, Maarten VAN STEENBERGE, Stephan KOBLMÜLLER, J.A.M. RAEYMAEKERS, P.I. HABLÜTZEL et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika: reduced host specificity and support for the classification of host tribes.

Authors

KMENTOVÁ, Nikol (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Maarten VAN STEENBERGE (56 Belgium), Stephan KOBLMÜLLER (40 Austria), J.A.M. RAEYMAEKERS (56 Belgium), P.I. HABLÜTZEL (56 Belgium), Milan GELNAR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Maarten Pieterjan VANHOVE (56 Belgium, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Cichlid Science, 2017

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Konferenční abstrakt

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00094958

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

Keywords in English

intraspecific variability;demographic history;population structure;species description

Abstract

V originále

Lake Tanganyika (LT) is a well-known study area localized in the African Rift Valley famous for its huge species richness and has attracted scientist for decades. The most diverse vertebrate family in LT are cichlids with more than 200 species currently placed in 14 different tribes. Surprisingly, the knowledge about parasites in LT is still incomplete and fragmentary and mainly limited to littoral habitats. As was already suggested in previous studies performed in marine systems, parasite species richness decreases in deepwater conditions, but do helminth parasites follow the same pattern in one of the most diverse freshwater ecosystems? Cichlids were already recognised as a remarkable target group in the field of evolutionary biology but what is the role of parasitic flatworms in this story? Does the monogenean morphology follow phylogenetic relationships of their cichlid hosts? Our samples originated from different parts of the lake and represent 11 host species from five cichlid tribes (Bathybatini, Benthochromini, Limnochromini, Tropheini, Trematocarini). Obtained sequence data cover four gene regions with different rates of molecular evolution; more than 180 specimens were used in a morphometric approach, selected sclerotized structures were digitalized looking for shape variation. The results genetically confirmed the previous suggestions about a monogenean species called Cichlidogyrus casuarinus being a generalist infecting six bathybatine hosts. While (geo)morphometrics showed an influence of host species and geographic origin on the morphology of C. casuarinus, the reduction of Cichlidogyrus host specifity among Bathybatini is evident in the genetic part of this study. Moreover, the list of parasites occurring in this lake’s depths was enriched by new Cichlidogyrus species collected from Trematocara unimaculatum and Benthochromis horii, C. brunnensis and C. attenboroughi, respectively. Comparative morphological analysis showed a discrepancy between host and parasite phylogeny of Gnathochromis and its monogenean fauna but supported the recent transfer of Trematocara into a separated tribe. Our morphological results do not suggest a strict monogenean-cichlid co-speciation in LT. Many interesting questions regarding parasite evolution remain to be answered.

Links

GBP505/12/G112, research and development project

Name: ECIP - Evropské centrum ichtyoparazitologie

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

KMENTOVÁ, Nikol, Maarten VAN STEENBERGE, Stephan KOBLMÜLLER, J.A.M. RAEYMAEKERS, P.I. HABLÜTZEL, Milan GELNAR and Maarten Pieterjan VANHOVE. Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika: reduced host specificity and support for the classification of host tribes. In Cichlid Science. 2017.

@proceedings{1390116,
   author = {Kmentová, Nikol and Van Steenberge, Maarten and Koblmüller, Stephan and Raeymaekers, J.A.M. and Hablützel, P.I. and Gelnar, Milan and Vanhove, Maarten Pieterjan},
   booktitle = {Cichlid Science},
   keywords = {intraspecific variability;demographic history;population structure;species description},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika: reduced host specificity and support for the classification of host tribes.},
   year = {2017}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 1390116
AU  - Kmentová, Nikol - Van Steenberge, Maarten - Koblmüller, Stephan - Raeymaekers, J.A.M. - Hablützel, P.I. - Gelnar, Milan - Vanhove, Maarten Pieterjan
PY  - 2017
TI  - Pelagic cichlids and their monogenean fauna in Lake Tanganyika: reduced host specificity and support for the classification of host tribes.
KW  - intraspecific variability;demographic history;population structure;species description
N2  - Lake Tanganyika (LT) is a well-known study area localized in the African Rift Valley famous for its huge species richness and has attracted scientist for decades. The most diverse vertebrate family in LT are cichlids with more than 200 species currently placed in 14 different tribes. Surprisingly, the knowledge about parasites in LT is still incomplete and fragmentary and mainly limited to littoral habitats. As was already suggested in previous studies performed in marine systems, parasite species richness decreases in deepwater conditions, but do helminth parasites follow the same pattern in one of the most diverse freshwater ecosystems? Cichlids were already recognised as a remarkable target group in the field of evolutionary biology but what is the role of parasitic flatworms in this story? Does the monogenean morphology follow phylogenetic relationships of their cichlid hosts? Our samples originated from different parts of the lake and represent 11 host species from five cichlid tribes (Bathybatini, Benthochromini, Limnochromini, Tropheini, Trematocarini). Obtained sequence data cover four gene regions with different rates of molecular evolution; more than 180 specimens were used in a morphometric approach, selected sclerotized structures were digitalized looking for shape variation. The results genetically confirmed the previous suggestions about a monogenean species called Cichlidogyrus casuarinus being a generalist infecting six bathybatine hosts. While (geo)morphometrics showed an influence of host species and geographic origin on the morphology of C. casuarinus, the reduction of Cichlidogyrus host specifity among Bathybatini is evident in the genetic part of this study. Moreover, the list of parasites occurring in this lake’s depths was enriched by new Cichlidogyrus species collected from Trematocara unimaculatum and Benthochromis horii, C. brunnensis and C. attenboroughi, respectively. Comparative morphological analysis showed a discrepancy between host and parasite phylogeny of Gnathochromis and its monogenean fauna but supported the recent transfer of Trematocara into a separated tribe. Our morphological results do not suggest a strict monogenean-cichlid co-speciation in LT. Many interesting questions regarding parasite evolution remain to be answered.
ER  -

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