title: Molecular characterization of two opecoelid trematodes from fishes in the Gulf of Mexico, with a description of a new species of Helicometra.
abstract: The plagioporine opecoelids Helicometra fasciata (Rudolphi, 1819) Odhner, 1902, and Macvicaria crassigula (Linton, 1910) Bartoli, Bray, and Gibson, 1989 have been reported from fishes in expansive geographic regions, disjointed from their type localities. New material of M. crassigula was collected from near its type locality as well as specimens resembling Helicometra fasciata sensu lato from three triglids in the Gulf of Mexico. Comparisons of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences, comprising the partial 18S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer region (= ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2), and partial 28S rDNA gene, from M. crassigula and Helicometra fasciata sensu lato in the Gulf of Mexico were made with sequences deposited in GenBank from those species from the Mediterranean Sea. Results reveal that M. crassigula sensu stricto from the Gulf of Mexico is distinct from the two cryptic species of M. crassigula sensu lato from the Mediterranean Sea and Helicometra fasciata sensu lato in this study differs from H. fasciata sequences from the Mediterranean Sea, thus Helicometra manteri sp. nov. is described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 39564, USA, michael.andres@eagles.usm.edu.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: Candis L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Pulis
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Overstreet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D060851:Gulf of America; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer