Community structure, population structure and topographical specialisation of Gyrodactylus (Monogenea) ectoparasites living on sympatric stickleback species (original) (raw)

Phylogenetic relationships of sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae), with emphasis on ninespine sticklebacks (Pungitius spp.)

Behaviour, 2004

The phylogenetic relationships of Gasterosteiformes were studied in an osteological examination of representatives of 48 genera in 41 families of eurypterygian fishes to hypothesize their systematic relationships within Acanthopterygii. The outgroup comparison method was used for polarizing characters and cladistic methods employing MacClade 3.08 and PAUP 4.0 computer programs were used for reconstructing systematic relationships of Gasterosteiformes. Monophyly of Acanthomorpha, Acanthopterygii, Percomorpha, and Smegmamorpha is supported. Mugiliformes and Atherinomorpha are shown to be each other closest relatives and together form a monophyletic group. This study shows that Synbranchiformes is the sister group of Gasterosteiformes and that Elassomatiformes (Elassomatidae) is the sister group of Synbranchiformes and Gasterosteiformes. To reflect the new phylogeny in a classification of Percomorpha, it is suggested that the series Percomorpha be divided into two subseries: Smegmamorphei and Percomorphei. Smegmamorphei consist of two infraseries: Mugilomorphea (Mugiliformes, Atheriniformes, Beloniformes, and Cyprinodontiformes) and Elassomamorphea (Elassomatiformes, Synbranchiformes, and Gasterosteiformes). Percomorphei consist of four orders: Perciformes, Scorpaeniformes, Pleuronectiformes, and Tetraodontiformes. Although no unique synapomorphy was found to unite all Gasterosteiformes, support was provided that Gasterosteiformes (including Hypoptychidae and Indostomidae) is a monophyletic group. Based on the phylogenetic analysis and synapomorphies provided for the subgroups, three suborders in Gasterosteiformes are recognized: Hypoptychoidei, Gasterosteoidei, and Syngnathoidei. Dactylopteridae is shown to be a member of Scorpaeniformes and, within the taxa examined, the sister-group of Agonidae. Although monophyly of Scorpaeniformes is supported, it is nested within Perciformes and branch support indices do not strongly support its monophyly.

Parasite communities of two three-spined stickleback populations in subarctic Norway-effects of a small spatial-scale host introduction

Parasitology research, 2015

Co-introduction and colonization of parasites with the introduction of new host species into aquatic habitats may depend on the host specificity and dispersal capabilities of the parasites. We compared the metazoan parasite community of an introduced three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population with that of the nearby source population in subarctic Norway. As expected from a small spatial scale (5 km), the parasite component communities in the two lakes were highly similar. All identifiable allogenic parasite taxa (Diphyllobothrium dendriticum, Diphyllobothrium ditremum, Diphyllobothrium spp., Schistocephalus solidus, Apatemon sp. and Diplostomum spp.) were also observed in both lakes while inter-lake differences were driven by autogenic parasite taxa (Eubothrium spp., Crepidostomum spp., Nematoda spp., Proteocephalus sp. and Gyrodactylus arcuatus). Contrary to expectation, the total number of parasite taxa was higher in the introduced stickleback population (12) com...