A fish-parasite sentinel system in an assessment of the spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls.

The spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in the Zemplínska Sírava water reservoir and adjacent tributaries in the Bodrog River Basin were investigated using a fish-parasite sentinel system. PCB concentrations were detected in various fish matrices (dorsal and abdominal muscles, liver and intestine) of the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) and its intestinal cestode Glanitaenia osculata. PCB concentrations in the fish from the water reservoir, located closest to the chemical plant, the primary source of the PCB pollution, were the highest. The analysis of these contaminants in catfish matrices showed the highest concentrations in the abdominal muscle, followed by the dorsal muscle, liver and intestine. Concentrations of ∑PCBs exceeding the limits for food set by European regulations were measured in the muscle tissue of catfish at all sites, even in the Bodrog River, 60 km away from the primary source of contamination, posing a significant risk to humans in the Zemplín region. For the first time, the ability of cestode G. osculata to accumulate higher amounts of PCBs compared to fish matrices has been demonstrated. Due to the enormous ability of the parasites to accumulate PCBs, we recommend this approach for alternative biomonitoring of PCBs in contaminated aquatic environments.

Archigetes Leuckart, 1878 (Cestoda, Caryophyllidea): diversity of enigmatic fish tapeworms with monoxenic life cycles.

The caryophyllidean genus Archigetes Leuckart, 1878 is unique among all tapeworms in that its species can mature in invertebrate hosts (Oligochaeta), i.e., have a monoxenic (direct) life cycle. All five species were described as progenetic plerocercoids in oligochaetes and two of them also as adults from cypriniform fishes. Two species, A. sieboldi Leuckart, 1878 and A. iowensis Calentine, 1962, were found in North America in non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A molecular study of caryophyllideans from the southern United States has revealed the occurrence of three new species in native freshwater fishes (Catostomidae, Ictiobinae): Archigetes loculotruncatus n. sp. from Ictiobus bubalus, I. niger and Carpiodes cyprinus is the largest representative of the genus and differs by a loculotruncate scolex. Archigetes megacephalus n. sp. from Ictiobus niger, I. bubalus and I. cyprinellus is characterised by a prominent, bothrioloculodiscate scolex. Archigetes vadosus n. sp. from I. bubalus is typified by a globular scolex with very shallow loculi; it differs from the closely related A. sieboldi in the shape of the body, with a distinct neck region and a scolex wider than the remaining body. Archigetes iowensis Calentine, 1962 becomes a junior synonym of Paraglaridacris limnodrili (Yamaguti, 1934). The generic diagnosis of Archigetes is amended and a key to identification of North American taxa is provided. Species of Archigetes and Paraglaridacris differ from each other most conspicuously in the structure of the ovary, which is follicular in Archigetes versus compact in Paraglaridacris.

TITLE: Archigetes Leuckart, 1878 (Cestoda, Caryophyllidea) : diversité de cestodes de poissons énigmatiques à cycle de vie monoxène. ABSTRACT: Le genre Archigetes Leuckart, 1878 (Caryophyllidea) est unique parmi les cestodes en ce sens que ses espèces peuvent atteindre la maturité chez des hôtes invertébrés (Oligochaeta), c'est-à-dire avoir un cycle de vie monoxénique (direct). Les cinq espèces ont été décrites à partir de plérocercoïdes progénétiques chez des oligochètes et deux d'entre elles aussi à partir d'adultes chez des poissons cypriniformes. Deux espèces, A. sieboldi Leuckart, 1878 et A. iowensis Calentine, 1962, ont été trouvées en Amérique du Nord chez des carpes communes (Cyprinus carpio), non indigènes. Une étude moléculaire des caryophyllidés du sud des États-Unis a révélé la présence de trois nouvelles espèces chez les poissons d'eau douce indigènes (Catostomidae, Ictiobinae). Archigetes loculotruncatus n. sp. d'Ictiobus bubalus, I. niger et Carpiodes cyprinus est le plus grand représentant du genre et est caractérisé par un scolex loculotronqué. Archigetes megacephalus n. sp. d'Ictiobus niger, I. bubalus et I. cyprinellus est caractérisé par un scolex proéminent et bothrioloculodisqué. Archigetes vadosus n. sp. d'I. bubalus est caractérisé par un scolex globulaire avec des loges très peu profondes, et diffère d'A. sieboldi, étroitement apparenté, par la forme du corps, avec une région du cou distincte et un scolex plus large que le reste du corps. Archigetes iowensis Calentine, 1962 devient un synonyme plus récent de Paraglaridacris limnodrili (Yamaguti, 1934). Le diagnostic générique d'Archigetes est modifié et une clé d'identification des taxons nord-américains est fournie. Les espèces d'Archigetes et de Paraglaridacris diffèrent de la manière la plus visible les unes des autres par la structure de l'ovaire, qui est folliculaire chez Archigetes par opposition à compact chez Paraglaridacris.

Hazardous pollutants in the environment: Fish host-parasite interactions and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls.

The present paper reports on the interrelationships of fish, parasites and the bioaccumulation of hazardous organic compounds in the Zemplínska Sírava water reservoir in eastern Slovakia, which is heavily polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The concentrations of these contaminants were measured in various fish matrices (dorsal and abdominal muscle tissues, hepatopancreas, intestine wall and adipose tissue) of the freshwater bream, Abramis brama (Cyprinidae), and in its intestinal parasite Caryophyllaeus laticeps (Cestoda), which was used for the first time as a model for a PCB bioaccumulation study. Regarding the fish, the highest concentrations of PCBs were found in the intestine, followed by hepatopancreas and muscle tissues. The amounts of PCBs were higher in abdominal muscles than in their dorsal parts. Concentrations of ∑PCBs above the limits set by European regulations were detected in both muscle parts in the fish, confirming the persistent unfavorable conditions in this locality and high risk for biota and humans. Based on bioconcentration factor values (BCFs), PCBs reached much higher levels in cestodes compared to bream matrices. Some significant differences in PCB amounts between infected and uninfected bream were determined. Fulton's condition factor (CF) significantly differed in infected and non-infected fish (p ˂ 0.05), with CF values surprisingly lower in fish free of parasites compared to parasitized fish, which suggests a "mutualistic" relationship between the parasite and its host.

Disentangling taxonomy of Biacetabulum (Cestoda, Caryophyllidea), parasites of catostomid fishes in North America: proposal of Megancestus gen. n. to accommodate B. carpiodi.

A new genus, Megancestus n. gen., is proposed to accommodate the caryophyllidean tapeworm Biacetabulum carpiodi Mackiewicz, 1969 from carpsuckers and quillback (Carpiodes spp.) in North America. This species is not closely related to other species of Biacetabulum Hunter, 1927 and is transferred to a newly erected genus. This new genus is typified by the possession of a small body (total length of 3.1-7.5 mm) with a scolex that bears a pair of large acetabulum-like loculi, two pairs of shallow lateral loculi, and a slightly convex apical disc, testes arranged in one or two layers, oval, thick-walled cirrus-sac, well-developed external seminal vesicle, separate gonopores, H-shaped ovary, few median vitelline follicles, and the uterus extending by a single loop anterior to the cirrus-sac. Megancestus differs from all Nearctic caryophyllidean genera (family Capingentidae), including Biacetabulum, by vitelline follicles dorsal to the ovary that connect the preovarian and postovarian vitelline fields. The most closely related Hunterella Mackiewicz et McCrae, 1962 differs by shape of the scolex (tholate, i.e., devoid of any loculi), dumbbell-shaped ovary and the uterus not extending anterior to the cirrus-sac. Megancestus carpiodi (Mackiewicz, 1969) n. comb. is the only species of the genus and it is a stenoxenous parasite, which has been found only in the river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio-type host), quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus) and highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer) (Catostomidae: Ictiobinae) in the lower and middle Mississippi basin.

Molecular evidence of three closely related species of Biacetabulum Hunter, 1927 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea): a case of recent speciation in different fish hosts (Catostomidae)?

Monozoic tapeworms (Caryophyllidea) are dominant components of parasite communities of suckers (Catostomidae) in North America, with Biacetabulum Hunter, 1927 representing one of the more species-rich genera. Molecular (28S rDNA) and morphological (including scanning electron microscopy and histology) evaluation of newly collected tapeworms from different fish hosts revealed the existence of four similar (and three closely related) species of Biacetabulum. These four species differ from their congeners by having a long body (up to 48 mm long) with a very long, slender neck (its length represents ≥30% of total body length), a large, globular scolex with a prominent central acetabulum-like loculus on the dorsal and ventral sides, two pairs of shallow lateral loculi and a distinct, slightly convex apical disc, and a cirrus-sac that is situated between the anterior arms of the ovarian wings. Taken together, the morphological and molecular data and the host associations of these species provide evidence of their host specificity. Biacetabulum isaureae n. sp. occurs in notch clip redhorse, Moxostoma collapsum, in South Carolina (USA), B. longicollum n. sp. in silver redhorse, Moxostoma anisurum (type host), and golden redhorse, M. erythrurum, in Manitoba (Canada) and West Virginia (USA), B. overstreeti n. sp. in a spotted sucker, Minytrema melanops, in Mississippi, and B. hypentelii n. sp. in northern hogsucker, Hypentelium nigricans, in Tennessee (USA). The new species differ from each other in the number of postovarian vitelline follicles, the posterior extent of preovarian vitelline follicles and relative size of the cirrus sac.

Scolex morphology of monozoic tapeworms (Caryophyllidea) from the Nearctic Region: taxonomic and evolutionary implications.

A comparative study of the scoleces of monozoic tapeworms (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of catostomid and cyprinid fishes (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) in the Nearctic Region, was carried out using light and scanning electron microscopy. Scoleces of 22 genera of North American caryophyllideans were characterised and their importance for taxonomy, classification and phylogenetic studies was critically reviewed. Nearctic genera exhibit a much higher variation in the shape and form of scoleces compared with taxa in other biogeographical regions. The following basic scolex types can be recognised in Nearctic caryophyllideans: monobothriate (Promonobothrium Mackiewicz, 1968), loculotruncate (Promonobothrium, Dieffluvium Williams, 1978), bothrioloculodiscate (Archigetes Leuckart, 1878, Janiszewskella Mackiewicz et Deutsch, 1976, Penarchigetes Mackiewicz, 1969, Pseudoglaridacris Oros, Uhrovic et Scholz, 2018), fixomegabothriate (Capingens Hunter, 1927), bulbate and bulboacuminate (Atractolytocestus Anthony, 1958), cuneiloculate (Hypocaryophyllaeus Hunter, 1927, Rowardleus Mackiewicz et Deutsch, 1976, Spartoides Hunter, 1929), biacetabulate, bulboloculate, bothrioloculodiscate (Biacetabulum Hunter, 1927), tholate (Hunterella Mackiewicz et McCrae, 1962), cuneifimbriate (Khawia Hsü, 1935), cuneiform (Calentinella Mackiewicz, 1974, Caryophyllaeides Nybelin, 1922, Edlintonia Mackiewicz, 1970), hastate (Pseudolytocestus Hunter, 1929), loculotholate (Bialovarium Fischthal, 1953, Pliovitellaria Fischthal, 1951), and cuneiformoloculate (Glaridacris Cooper, 1920, Isoglaridacris Mackiewicz, 1965). The same type of scolex may be shared by species of different genera or families and species of the same genus can have a scolex of conspicuously different morphology, e.g. in Promonobothrium. Scolex morphology may be therefore of limited use in generic designation.

A New Classification of Glaridacris Cooper, 1920 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), Parasites of Suckers (Catostomidae) in North America, Including Erection of Pseudoglaridacris N. Gen.

A taxonomic study of monozoic cestodes of the genus Glaridacris Cooper, 1920 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of catostomid fishes in North America, confirmed artificial character of the genus which is split to 2 different, morphologically distinct, and not closely related genera. Glaridacris is newly circumscribed to include only 3 species, Glaridacris catostomi Cooper, 1920 (type species), Glaridacris terebrans ( Linton, 1893 ), and Glaridacris vogei Mackiewicz, 1976 , which are characterized by an elongate body, a cuneiloculate or wedge-shaped scolex with 6 shallow loculi, male and female gonopores at a distance from each other, follicular ovary, and circum-medullary vitelline follicles (lateral and median). A new genus, Pseudoglaridacris n. gen., is proposed to accommodate 3 species characterized by a shorter body, a bothrioloculodiscate scolex with a pair of deeper median bothria and 2 shallower loculi, male and female gonopores close together, non-follicular ovary, and with only lateral vitelline follicles. The species are: Pseudoglaridacris laruei ( Lamont, 1921 ) n. comb. (type species), Pseudoglaridacris confusa (Hunter, 1929) n. comb., and Pseudoglaridacris oligorchis ( Haderlie, 1953 ) n. comb. An annotated list of all species of both genera, with data on their hosts and distribution and keys to their identification, is provided.