title: Molecular evidence of cryptic diversity in Paracaryophyllaeus (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of loaches (Cobitidae) in Eurasia, including description of P. vladkae n. sp.
abstract: Molecular phylogenetic analysis of an extensive collection of monozoic tapeworms of the genus Paracaryophyllaeus Kulakovskaya, 1961 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of loaches (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae) in Eurasia, has revealed cryptic species diversity within this long-time monotypic genus, especially in the Paracaryophyllaeus gotoi (Motomura, 1927) species complex [syn. Paracaryophyllaeus dubininorum (Kulakovskaya, 1961); type species]. Three independent, well-supported clades were discovered on the basis of molecular data: (i) specimens from Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and Cobitis lutheri from China, Russian Far East and Japan - called herein P. cf. gotoi 1, which may be conspecific with P. gotoi (Motomura, 1927), although in the absence of sequence data for P. gotoi from its type locality (basin of the River Kumkan in Korea), no certain inferences about their identity can currently be made; (ii) specimens from M. anguillicaudatus from China and Japan - P. cf. gotoi 2, which are morphologically indistinguishable from those of P. cf. gotoi 1; and (iii) morphologically distinct tapeworms from the endemic loach Cobitis bilseli from southwestern Turkey (Beyşehir Lake), which are described herein as a new species. Paracaryophyllaeus vladkae Scholz, Oros and Aydoğdu n. sp. differs from the remaining species of the genus in the following characteristics: the testes begin anterior to the first vitelline follicles (versus posterior), the body is short and robust (versus more elongate and slender), and the scolex is wide, rounded or apically tapered (versus claviform to truncate). Species composition of the genus, host specificity of species and geographical distribution are briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: tscholz@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Mikuláš
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oros
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bazsalovicsová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brabec
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, England, UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waeschenbach
authors.affiliation: Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Bing-Wen
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Uludag University, Mustafakemelpasa Vocational School, Mustafakemelpasa, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydoğdu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Besprozvannykh
authors.affiliation: 10486-2 Hotaka-Ariake, Azumino, Nagano 399-8301, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimazu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Ivica
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Králová-Hromadová
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, England, UK.
authors.forename: D Timothy J
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Littlewood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002589:Cestoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002681:China; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005618:Fresh Water; D014644:Genetic Variation; D058507:Host Specificity; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D056910:Republic of Korea; D045483:Rivers; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
keywords: Caryophyllidea; Eurasia; Freshwater fishes; Molecular phylogeny; Species complex; Taxonomy