Family MICROBOTHRIIDAE Price, 1936
Introduction
The Microbothriidae is a family of Monogenea, species of which principally infect the placoid scales or denticles of shark and ray skin. Some, however are reported from gill and nasal tissue (Whittington & Chisholm 2008).
Microbothriids are oviparous. The most remarkable aspect of their biology is the fact that unlike almost all other Monogenea, microbothriids do not use haptoral sclerites for attachment but instead glue themselves to the enamel-like surfaces of shark denticles. There is strong evidence that the eggs of some microbothriid species in Europe rely on chemical cues such as urea to promote hatching.
In Australia, the Microbothriidae are represented by a single species, Pseudoleptobothrium aptychotremae, from rhinobatid (shovelnose ray) hosts. At first sight, this species may appear unusual because it has been reported from several host species (e.g. Young 1967; Glennon et al. 2006a, 2006b). Recent molecular studies, however, indicate that this species may represent a complex of species that infects rhinobatid rays off the east coast (Glennon et al., 2008). Studies on P. aptychotremae suggest its eggs may hatch spontaneously but hatching success is relatively low and eggs may also require an, as yet unidentified, hatching stimulant (Glennon et al., 2006b).
The diverse shark and ray fauna of Australia is relatively unexplored for Microbothriidae.
General References
Glennon, V., Chisholm, L.A. & Whittington, I.D. 2006. Pseudoleptobtohrium aptychotrema Young, 1967 (Monogenea: Microbothriidae) redescribed from a new host, Trygonorrhina fasciata (Rhinobatidae) in South Australia with a description of the larva and post-larval development. Acta Parasitologica 51(1): 40-46
Glennon, V., Chisholm, L.A. & Whittington, I.D. 2006. Three unrelated species, 3 sites, same host-monogenean parasites of the southern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina fasciata, in South Australia: egg hatching strategies and larval behaviour. Parasitology 133: 55-66
Glennon, V. Chishom, L.A. & Whittington, I.D. 2008. Comparative phylogeography reveals host generalists, specialists and cryptic diversity: Hexabothriid, microbothriid and monocotylid monogeneans from rhinobatid rays in southern Australia. International Journal for Parasitology 38: 1599-1612
Whittington, I.D. & Chisholm, L.A. 2008. Diseases caused by Monogenea. pp. 683-816 in Eiras, J.C., Segner, H., Wahli, T. & Kapoor, B.G. (eds). Fish Diseases. New Hampshire : Science Publishers Vol. 2.
Young, P.C. 1967. A taxonomic revision of the subfamilies Monocotylinae Gamble, 1896 and Dendromonocotylinae Hargis, 1955 (Monogenoidea: Monocotylidae). Journal of Zoology, London 153: 381-422
Young, P.C. 1967. New Monogenoidea from Australian brackish and reef fish. Journal of Parasitology 53: 1008-1015
History of changes
Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
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12-Feb-2010 | (import) |