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ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL
A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF RHABDOCHONA (FILOCHONA) SAIDOV, 1953, (NEMATODA:
RHABDOCHONIDAE) PARASITIZING CYPRINID FISHES
UNA CLAVE PARA LAS ESPECIES DE RHABDOCHONA (FILOCHONA) SAIDOV, (1953)
(NEMATODA: RHABDOCHONIDAE) PARÁSITOS DE PECES CIPRINIDOS
Deepak C. Kalia, Yanchen Dolma & Suman Kumari
Abstract
Keywords: Bipartite key - Cyprinid fish – Identification - Rhabdochona (Filochona) - Schizothorax - species.
Suggested citation: Kalia, DC, Dolma, Y & Kumari, S. 2013. A key to the species of Rhabdochona (Filochona) Saidov, 1953,
(Nematoda: Rhabdochonidae) parasitizing cyprinid fishes. Neotropical Helminthology, vol. 7, n°2, jul-dec, pp. 283 - 288.
Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Summer Hill, Shimla (H.P.) India, 171005
yanchen86@gmail.com
Neotrop. Helminthol., 7(2), 2013
2013 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)
ISSN: 2218-6425 impreso / ISSN: 1995-1043 on line
To facilitate the identification of the species of Rhabdochona (Filochona) Saidov, 1953,
parasitizing carp fishes, a bipartite key for 12 species of the subgenus is provided. A large number
of worms, Rhabdochona (Filochona) hellichi turkestanica (Skrjabin, 1917) Moravec et al. 2010,
were recovered from Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel in river Ravi at Chamba, a district of
Himachal Pradesh (India).
Resumen
Palabras clave: Clave bipartita - especie - identificación - pez ciprinido - Rhabdochona (Filochona) – Schizothorax.
Para comprender la identificación de las especies de Rhabdochona (Filochona) Saidov, 1953,
parasitando a peces carpa, una clave bipartita para 12 especies del subgénero es provista. Un gran
número de helmintos, Rhabdochona (Filochona) hellichi turkestanica (Skrjabin, 1917) Moravec
et al., 2010, fueron registrados de Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel en el río Ravi en Chamba,
un distrito de Himachal Pradesh (India).
followed, notwithstanding Saidov's (1953)
bifurcation of genus Rhabdochona Railliet,
1916 (Railliet, 1916), into Rhabdochona
(Rhabdochona) Railliet, 1916 and
Rhobdochona (Filochona) Saidov, 1953 and
Moravec (1975) observation's on species of
Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916, parasitic in fishes
of Europe and Asia, for reconstructing his earlier
hypothesis of 1972 on general characterization
of the genus, into four subgenera namely,
Rhabdochona (Rhabdochona) Railliet, 1916;
Rhabdochona (Globochona) Moravec, 1972;
The widely accepted diagnosis of genus
Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916, as provided by
Chabaud (1975) and Pinto et al. (2010), on the
basis of egg surface (smooth/with
filaments/with floats), into Rhabdochona
(Rhabdochona) Railliet, 1916; Rhabdochona
(Filochona) Saidov, 1953 and Rhabdochona
(Globochona). Moravec, 1972, has a
phylogenetic value, but useful for the separation
of numerous species in the genus has been
INTRODUCTION
Kalia et al.
Key to the species of Rhabdochona
documented in “CIH keys to the Nematode
Parasites of Vertebrates” by Chabaud (1975).
Furthermore, a single characteristic feature e.g.
bursa (Chitwood & Jordan, 1965; Gupta &
Kalia, 1981; Kalia & Gupta, 1983) works well
for the preparation of a useful pictoral key, in the
backdrop of the availability of the detailed
morphological descriptions for all the known
spp. of a genus,
During the survey of parasitic nematodes in
Himachal Pradesh, a total number of 277 (83♂
& 194 ♀） specimens of
(Filochona) hellichi turkestanica (Skrjabin,
1917) Moravec et al., 2010, were recovered
from 105 (21♂ & 84♀） fish hosts (Schizothorax
plagiostomus Heckel, 1838) in river Ravi at
Chamba in the months of April, May and August,
2011. The distinct numbers and distinguishable
arrangement of caudal papillae (Moravec,
1975); the characteristic distal terminations of
the left spicule (Moravec et al., 2010) and also
the position of vulva (Rahemo, 1978) have been
considered for the separation of the species.
KEYS:
1 (6) Cloacal papillae 12-14 pairs.
2 (5) Postcloacal papillae 4-5 pairs.
3 (4) Left spicule with blunt distal tip.
Anterior end of both sexes with a typical
annular structure; cloacal papillae 12-13
(7-8+5) pairs; left spicule 0.422-0.451
mm long (with blunt distal tip), right
spicule 0.08- 0.09 mm long.
(from Varicorhinus hereatensis
steindachneri in USSR)
R. varicorhini Osmanov,1964
4(3) Left spicule with bifurcated distal tip.
Cloacal papillae 14 (9+5) pairs; left
spicule 0.688-0.71mm long (with
Rhabdochona
Rhabdchona (Globochonoides) Moravec, 1975
and Rhabdochona (Sinonema) Moravec, 1975,
including additional features, for diagnosis
rather than the egg characteristic only, such as
number and arrangement of teeth in the
prostome, presence of cervical alae, shape of
female tail tip and shape of deirids and which
was accepted by Bilquees (1979); Soota &
Sarkar (1981) and Soota (1983).
Rhabdochona (Filochona) hellichi (Sramek,
1901) Chitwood, 1933, is distributed over
western, central and southern Europe,
Transcaucasia and Soviet central Asia reaching
up to Kashmir, India (Moravec, 1975). However
some small morphological differences
observable between European and Asian
specimen of R. hellichi especially in the shape of
distal end of the left spicule, a character used for
bifurcating the species, was considered to be
within the intraspecific variations (Moravec,
1975; Moravec & Amin, 1978).
The recent molecular studies on R. hellichi from
Barbus barbus (Linnaeus) in Czeeh Republic
and those of the Schizochorax sp. from West
Bengal and Sikkim in India by Cernotikova
(2010), suggest these forms to be genetically
distant. Hence the two subspecies,
Rhabdochona (Filochona) hellichi turkestanica
(Skrjabin, 1917) Moravec et al., 2010 (an Asian
representative of Schizothorax Heckel and
related genera, having ventral process of the
distal tip of left spicule distinctly longer than the
dorsal process) and Rhabdochona (Filochona)
hellichi hellichi (Sramek, 1901) Moravec et al.,
2010 (parasitizing European species of Barbus
having both processes of the distal tip of the life
spicule approximately equally long), have been
accepted in the present study. Hence a bipartite
key to the species of Rhabdochona (Filochona)
Saidov, 1953, parasitizing cyprinid fishes is
given.
The bipartite key yields quick segregation of the
genera (Sramek, 1901; Skrjabin, 1917; Dinnik,
1933; Yamaguti, 1935; Thapar, 1950; Osmanor,
1964; Roytmann & Troffmenko, 1964; Skrjabin,
1964; Moravec, 1972; Siddiqi & Khattak, 1984;
Moravec et al., 1991), a scheme very well
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
284
Neotrop. Helminthol., 7(2), 2013
its distal tip in lateral view blunt, not
extended and provided with fine
cuticular membrane, whereas in ventral
view distal tip appears cone shaped,
right spicule 0.11-0.147mm long (with
wide lateral keels and dorsal barb).
(from Barbus brachycephalus,
Schizothorax intermedius from the
River Kyzlu, USSR)
R.gnedini Skrjabin, 1946
13 (8) Minimum number of cloacal papillae 15
pairs.
14 (15) Distal processes of left spicule
contiguous.
Prostome with 10-12 anterior teeth;
cloacal papillae 15-17 (10-11+5-6)
pairs; left spicule 0.54-0.58 mm long
(with contiguous distal processes), right
spicule 0.09-0.103 mm long with dorsal
barb at distal tip.
(from Barilius sp., Puntius sp. and
Noemacheilus sp. in Pakistan)
R. charsaddiensis Siddiqi and Khattak, 1984
15 (14) Distal processes of left spicule
distinctly separate.
16 (19) Vulva postequatorial.
17(18) Left spicule with its distal processes of
almost equal lengths.
Prostome funnel- shaped with 14 fairly
big anterior teeth (3 dorsal, 3 ventral,
laterl teeth arranged in couples 2 pairs on
each side); cloacal papillae 15-17 (9-
11+6) pairs; left spicule 0.501- 0.509
mm long ( with distal processes of
almost equal length), right spicule
0.126-0.144 mm long, with distinct
dorsal barb.
(from Barbus barbus and Schizothorax
intermedius in Europe and Central Asia)
R.hellichi hellichi (Sramek,1901)
Chitwood, 1933
18 (17) Left spicule with its unequal distal
processes.
Cloacal papillae 16 (10+6) pairs, left
bifurcated distal tip), right spicule 0.11-
0.129 mm long.
(from Varicorhinus capoeta sevangi in
Azebaidzhan)
R. macrostoma Moravec & Mikailov,1970
5(2) Post cloacal papillae 6 pairs.
Cloacal papillae 13-14 (7-8+6) pairs;
left spicule 0.522 mm long, right spicule
0.108 mm long.
(from Barbus luteus in Iraq)
R.similis Moravec, Ali & Abul-Eis, 1991
6 (1) Cloacal papillae 14 pairs or more.
7 (20) Cloacal papillae up to 17 pairs.
8 (13) Minimum number of cloacal papillae 14
pairs.
9 (10) Right spicule without dorsal barb.
Cloacal papillae 14-15(8-9+6) pairs; left
spicule 0.693-0.723mm long, right
spicule 0.159- 0.171 mm long (without
dorsal barb at distal tip) ; egg with
distinct protuberances on either pole
provided with a broad filament of
fibrous structure (filaments often frayed
into more parts).
(from Tor sp. in Sikkim, India)
R.hospeti Thapar, 1950.
10 (9) Right spicule with dorsal barb.
11(12) Cloacal papillae 14-16 (8-10+6) pairs.
Left spicule 0.435- 0.510 mm long, right
spicule 0.108-0.120 mm long, boat
shaped (with dorsal barb at distal tip) ;
tail of both sexes conical , ending in
sharp cuticular point; each pole of
mature egg provided with one, less
frequently with two narrow filaments
attaining as much as 0.57 mm length.
(from Zaco platypus, Tribolodon
hakuensis and Leuciscus brandti from
Japan) R. zacconis Yamaguti, 1935
12 (11) Cloacal papillae 14-17 (8-11+6) pairs.
Left spicule 0.576-0.750 mm long, with
285
Kalia et al.
Key to the species of Rhabdochona
Caspian and Aral seas)
R. fortunatowi Dinnik, 1933.
Moravec et al. (2010) observed during the study
on the morphology and taxonomy of three spp.
of Rhabdochona parasitizing fishes in India, that
the European and Asian representatives of
Rhabdochona (Filochona) hellichi (Sramek,
1901) Chitwood, 1933 (Chitwood, 1933),
exhibit some small morphological differences,
especially in the shape of distal end of the left
spicule and considered it to be within the
intrsaspecific variability of the species.
Therefore, R. (F.) hellichi turkestanica
(Skrjabin, 1917) was differentiated from the
nominotypical subspecies R. (F.) hellichi
hellichi (Sramek, 1901) mainly in having the
ventral process of the distal tip of the left spicule
distinctly longer than the dorsal process (versus
both processes approximately equally long).
This categorization has also been supported by
the molecular studies (Cernotikova, 2010) of R.
hellichi specimens from Barbus barbus
(Linnaeus) in Czech Republic and also those
from Schizothorax in West Bengal and Sikkim
(India). Needless to add that R. (F.) hellichi
hellichi parasitizes barbels (Barbus spp.) in
Europe and R. (F.) hellichi turkestanica found as
parasitic mainly in species of Schizothorax and
some related fish genera in Central and South
Asia (Moravec et al., 2012).
spicule 0.570-0.576 mm long, with
0.318-0.33 mm long shaft,representing
56-59% of entire spicule length (with
unequal distal processes), right spicule
0.135-0.138 mm long, with distinct
dorsal barb at the distal tip.
(from Schizothorax sp. in India)
R. hellichi turkestanica
(Skrjabin,1917) Moravec et al., 2010
19 (16) Vulva equatorial.
Cloacal papillae 16-17(10-11+6) pairs,
left spicule 0.420 mm long, shaft 0.228
mm long representing 53% of entire
spicule length, distal tip of extuded
spicule moderately expanded, some-
what bifurcate, provided with narrow
cuticular membrane, right spicule 0.093
mm long, with small dorsal barb on
distal tip.
(from Capoeta trutta and Cyprinion
macrostoma in Iraq)
R. tigridis Rahemo, 1978 (emend.)
20 (7) Cloacal papillae more than 17 pairs.
21(22) Cloacal papillae not variable in
numbers.
Cephlic papillae in two rows of 4
each,cloacal papillae 18(12+6) pairs;
left spicule 0.42 mm long with its distal
end split and spoon shaped, right spicule
0.118mm long bearing an anchor like
dorsal process distally; vulva almost
equatorial (1:1.1); immature eggs
devoid of filaments, mature eggs 0.435
mm × 0.203 mm with two filaments (one
at each pole).
(from Oreoleuciscus humilis in USSR)
R. humili Roytman and Trofimenko, 1964
22 (21) Cloacal papillae variable in numbers.
Cloacal papillae18-20(12-14+6) pairs;
left spicule 0.405 mm long with
bifurcated distal tip, shaft of its spicule
representing approximately its anterior
half, right spicule 0.084 mm; vulva
equatorial.
(from Vricorhinus capoeta sevangi and
V. capoeta heratensis from Basins of the
DISCUSSION
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Key to the species of Rhabdochona
Correspondence to author/ Autor para
correspondencia:
Yanchen Dolma
Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh
University, Summer Hill, Shimla (H.P.) India,
171005.
E-mail / Correo electrónico:
yanchen86@gmail.com
Received November 26, 2012.
Accepted October 8, 2013.
288
