Authors

Z Ayadi¹; F Tazerouti²;  ¹ Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement : Interactions – Génomes, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria, Algeria;  ² Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement : Interactions – Génomes, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria

Discussion

A taxonomic study of monogenean parasites of deep sea groupers belonging to two species of the genius Epinephelus Bloch, 1793: Epinephelus costae (Steindachner, 1878) and E. marginatus (Lowe, 1834) caught from the Algerian coast reveals the presence of 6 parasites species collected for the first time in Algeria.

The morpho-anatomic study of harvested Monogenea shows that all these parasites reattached to the family of Diplectanidae Monticelli, 1903 and are represented with two genera Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958 and Echinoplectanum Justine & Euzet, 2006.

In our collection we have found 5 species belonging to Pseudorhabdosynochus: P. riouxi(Oliver, 1986) Santos, Buchmann & Gibson, 2000, P. beverleybrtonae(Oliver, 1984) Kritsky & Beverley-Burton, 1986, P. bouaini Neifar & Euzet, 2007, P. sosia Neifar & Euzet, 2007and P. enitsuji Neifar & Euzet, 2007. The distinction between the species of this genius is based on the length and disposition of sclerits of haptor and the morphology of the sclerotized vagina.

Only one species of the genius Echinoplectanum was found on the gills of studied Epinephelids. This species is identified as Echinoplectanum echinophallus (Euzet & Oliver, 1965) Justine & Euzet, 2006 which is characterized by a funnel shaped male copulatory organ provided with spines.  

This study allowed establishing for the first time in Algeria an inventory of Monogenean parasites of epinephelids (Serranidae).