Monopisthocotylean parasites of cichlid and clariid hosts in the Upper Congo Basin (DR Congo): Examining diversity

Abstract

Given the importance of fish diversity in the Congo Basin, focusing on fish parasites provides an interesting model for studying aquatic biodiversity. Unfortunately, the Upper Congo Basin remains largely unexplored or poorly studied in terms of monopisthocotyleans. This study is a contribution to research on monopisthocotyleans of four cichlid (Serranochromis macrocephalus, Coptodon rendalli, Oreochromis mweruensis and Tilapia sparrmanii) and five clariid species (Clarias ngamensis, C. stappersii, C. buthupogon, C. theodorae and C. gariepinus) examined from 10 localities in the Lufira and Luapula river systems. Results indicated fourteen monopisthocotylean species were recorded from cichlids: on S. macrocephalus (Cichlidogyrus karibae, C. zambezensis); on C. rendalli (C. papernastrema, C. tiberianus, C. quaestio, C. dossoui, C. halli, Gyrodactylus nyanzae); on O. mweruensis (C. tiberianus, C. quaestio, C. dossoui, C. halli, C. sclerosus, C. mbirizei, C. tilapiae, G. nyanzae, Enterogyrus malmbergi, Scutogyrus cf. bailloni, S. gravivaginus); on T. sparrmanii (C. papernastrema, C. dossoui). Thirteen species were recorded from clariids: on C. ngamensis (Quadriacanthus aegypticus, Q. allobychowskiella, Q. amakaliae, Q. halajiani, Q. domatanai, Q. lubandaensis, Q. curvicirrus, Quadriacanthus sp. ‘shigoleyae’, Macrogyrodactylus clarii, Gyrodactylus cf. turkanaensis); on C. stappersii (Q. amakaliae, Quadriacanthus sp. ‘kalomboi’, Quadriacanthus sp. ‘bassocki’); on C. buthupogon (Q. amakaliae, Quadriacanthus sp. ‘bassocki’; Gyrodactylus sp. 1); on C. theodorae (Quadriacanthus sp. ‘bassocki’); on C. gariepinus (Quadriacanthus sp. ‘bassocki’). The study highlights the potential richness of monopisthocotylean communities in the region. This will serve as a foundation for faunal inventories of parasites on other fish species as well as for using parasites as biological tools for water monitoring in threatened ecosystems like the Congo Basin.