Validation of Bifurcohaptor spp. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) reported from India using molecular methods with inclusion of insilico study: A brief report on its host-specificity

摘要

A total of 17 species of the genus Bifurcohaptor Jain, 1958 have been reportedfrom two fish families namely Bagridae Bleeker, 1858 (Mystus vittatus (Bloch, 1794), M.tengara (Hamilton, 1822), M. keletius (Valenciennes, 1840), Hemibagrus nemurus(Valenciennes, 1840), Rita rita (Hamilton, 1822) and Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839)) andSisoridae Bleeker, 1858 (Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822)). Out of these, only twospecies viz. B. indicus and B. giganticus are found valid in India, parasitizing gills ofMystus spp. and Bagarius sp. Taxonomic studies suggest, present specimen of B. indicusand B. giganticus, both are morphologically close to species described by Jain (1958),except morphometric variations and posses 7 pairs of marginal hooks instead of 6 pairs.Present manuscript delves with the characterization of B. indicus and B. giganticusreported from India, using molecular techniques. Partial mt COI nucleotide sequencebased insilico protein analysis and partial 28S and ITS-1 rDNA based phylogenetic analysis,estimated by Neighbour-joining (NJ) and Minimum Evolution (ME) methods revealed thatthe species of the genus Bifurcohaptor are genetically distinct and valid. The grouping ofBifurcohaptor spp. with other representatives of family Dactylogyridae supports morphologybased placement into family Dactylogyridae. Present and previous host-parasite informationsuggests both Bifurcohaptor spp. are species specialist however, the genus Bifurcohaptoris generalist at generic level.