Grillotia (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) plerocerci in an anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) from the Tyrrhenian Sea

Abstract

Trypanorhynch cestodes are common parasites of marine fish with complicated life cycles which have been suggested as model taxa to study the evolution of marine helminth parasites and their life cycles. Among the Trypanorhyncha, the genus Grillotia includes 18 valid species, of which only four have been found in Mediterranean fish hosts. Morphological, histopathological, and molecular data are presented on a massive Grillotia plerocercus infection in an anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) from the Tyrrhenian Sea. BLAST analysis of the 28S rDNA sequences revealed 99% similarity between specimens here found and a G. (Bathygrillotia) rowei sequence available in GenBank with a total of six nucleotide site differences. A morphological study suggested that the Grillotia sp. here reported did not match important characters to those previously reported from the Mediterranean Sea. Taking in account these differences, we prefer to place these specimens within Grillotia sensu lato until more material is available for study including sequences from adult specimens of Grillotia spp. from the Mediterranean Sea.