title: The morphology and genetic characterization of Iheringascaris goai n. sp. (Nematoda: Raphidascarididae) from the intestine of the silver whiting and spotted catfish off the central west coast of India.
abstract: In this study a new species of nematode, Iheringascaris goai n. sp., is reported from two fish hosts, including silver whiting, Sillago sihama, and spotted catfish, Arius maculatus, caught off the Central West Coast of India at Goa. The new species can be differentiated morphologically from I. inquies, the most closely related species collected from cohabiting marine fish. The distinguishing characteristics are distinct cuticular striations, a unilateral excretory system, the presence of dentigerous ridges on the inner margin of the lips and the ratio of oesophagus to body length. In males, the ratio of spicules to body length is higher and the number of pre-anal papillae is less in comparison to those in I. inquies. In addition, the tail curves ventrad in males, while in females, the vulva is post-equatorial. The sequence alignment of 18S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I with sequences of known species selected from the same superfamily shows a significant difference. The morphological and molecular differences reported here can, therefore, be used to assign the specimen to a new species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad 211002, UP, India. anshu.malhotra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Malakar
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lakra
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamsi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV