Sandeep K. Malhotra

Population distribution of Heterakis pusilla in Gallus gallus L. from India

Female Gallus gallus L. are more susceptible to Heterakis pusilla than are male hosts. The worm burden decreased with increase in size and weight of domestic fowls. The frequency distribution of H. pusilla in the two sexes, and by hosts size and weight classes was log-normal.

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.

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.

Ecological morphotaxometry of trematodes of garfish (Teleostomi: Belonidae) from Gangetic riverine ecosystem in India. I. Morphology and taxometric assessment of Cephalogonimus yamunii n.sp.

A new endoparasitic fluke, Cephalogonimus yamunii n.sp. is described from the intestine of freshwater fish Xenentodon cancilla (Belonidae). The worms could be differentiated from C. amphiumae (Chandler 1932), C. apognichthysi (Gupta and Puri 1982), C. hanumanthai (Agrawal and Agarwal 1984), C. salamandrus (Dronen and Lang 1974), C. simhai (Singh 2010) and C. vesicaudus (Nickerson 1912) in a unipartite seminal vesicle, genital pore subterminal anteriorly, opening at the hind end of oral sucker, equatorial or sub-equatorial testes, besides other morphological attributes of shorter body and pharynx, larger oesophagus and oral sucker, smaller ventral sucker, testes, cirrus sac and ovary, and a terminal excretory pore. Taxometric substantiation has been presented by using Polythetic Divisive Classificatory System, and ecological attributes have been evaluated to validate specific distribution patterns in population dynamics of the new species in simultaneous contributions.

Amino acids of Hymenolepis palmarum (Johri, 1956) and chemotaxonomic studies on hymenolepidid cestodes

Chemotaxonomic patterns in the distribution of amino acids of Hymenolepis palmarum (Johri, 1956) and other hymenolepidids revealed the common presence of beta-aminoisobutyric acid, lysine, phenylalanine and tyrosine but 3,4 dihydroxyphenylalanine and norleucine were exclusive to H. palmarum. Both qualitative and quantitative differences in amino acids have been recorded.

A new species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) from the whitecheek monocle bream, Scolopsis vosmeri (Perciformes: Nemipteridae), from the Panjim coast at Goa, with a checklist of parasites previously reported from this fish

Neolebouria capoori n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) is described from the whitecheek monocle bream, Scolopsis vosmeri (Bloch) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from the Panjim coast on the central west coast of India at Goa. The new species differs from both Neolebouria cantherhini (Li, Qiu & Zhang, 1988) as originally described from Thamnaconus modestus (Günther) (syn. Cantherines modestus Günther ) and Neolebouria confusum (Overstreet, 1969) as originally described from Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch) by having the cirrus sac surpassing the ventral sucker posteriorly in N. cantherhini and being entirely preacetabular in N. confusum compared to terminating near the midlevel of the ventral sucker in N. capoori n. sp. The new species is most similar to N. confusum, but it further differs from this species by having the vitelline fields terminating near the level of the esophageal bifurcation compared to terminating near the level of the posterior margin of the pharynx, a larger sucker ratio (1:1.7-1:2.0 compared to 1:1.4-1:1.7), a somewhat shorter cirrus sac relative to body length (160-448, representing 9-18% of the body length compared to about 367, representing 22%), and the egg of the new species has a boss at the anopercular end that is not present in N. confusum. This study represents the first report on an opecoelid from S. vosmeri. A review of the parasites reported from S. vosmeri is included.

Keys to the species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 (Digenea: Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae), with a redescription of Neolebouria truncata (Linton, 1940)

Three keys to the species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976, representing three body types, are provided based on the location of the genital pore relative to the intestinal bifurcation. These are: the lanceolata body type, where the genital pore is clearly prebifurcal; the diacopae body type, where the genital pore is located at or near the level of the intestinal bifurcation; and the maorum body type, where the genital pore is clearly postbifurcal. Fifteen species were assigned to the lanceolata body type; eight species to the diacopae body type; and four species to the maorum body type. Neolebouria truncata (Linton, 1940) is redescribed and N. georgiensis Gibson, 1976 is reinstated as a valid species. Neither N. georgiensis, nor N. antarctica Szidat & Graefe, 1967 (syn. Crassicutis antarcticus Szidat & Graefe, 1967), as described by Zdzitowiecki et al. (1993), represent N. antarctica, as originally described, and N. georgiensis and N. antarctica, as described by Zdzitowiecki et al. (1993), may be conspecific.

Comparative analysis of amino acids of three species of gangesia (Cestoda: Proteocephalata)

A total of 21 amino acids were detected in the present investigations on three species of Gangesia (Cestoda: Proteocephalata) viz. G. bengalensis Woodland, 1924, G. hanumanthai Seth & Capoor, 1982 and G sanehensis Malhotra et al., 1981. The study was conducted in a sub-humid region around Allahabad, India. The implications of amino acid utilization in metabolic activities of fish tapeworms have been discussed.

High salinity tolerance of Eucalyptus and interactions with soil and plant nematodes of pathogenic significance

A significant negative interrelationship existed between soil salinity and density of a variety of nematodes viz.Helicotylenchus indicus,Hoplolaimus indicus,Longidorus sp.,Tylenchorhynchus brevilineatus,Tylenchus sp. andTrichodorus sp. The trend was more evident during summer (May—June) period (at upto 33°C) indicating adverse influence of the combined effect of high salinity pH (>8.0) and low moisture content (18-24.5%) on nemic growth and establishment in soil. Soil sodium (upto 57 ppm) and potassium contents (upto 32ppm) were also higher in soil during this period of high temperature activity. Nemic population distribution could not be described on Poisson series (P> 0.9-0.1) but the agreement was good with binomial model (P <0.001). Seasonality dependent improved tolerance ofEucalyptus to high salinity and interactions with other soil fauna of pathogenic significance were, therefore, demonstrated in this study.

Bioecology of the parasites of high altitude homeothermic host-parasite systems. I. Influence of season and temperature on infections by strobilocerci of three species of Hydatigera in Indian house rat

Seasonal fluctuations in the infrapopulation size of strobilocerci of Hydatigera balaniceps (Hall, 1911), H. laticollis (Rudolphi, 1819) and H. parva (Baer, 1926) infesting liver lobes of Indian house rat populations at high altitude (1400 to 1600 m) appear to be correlated with climatic oscillations in temperature. Greater susceptibility of Rattus rattus to infection was evident at lower temperatures. The distribution of strobilocerci in rodent populations could be described by the Poisson model (P less than 0.20-P less than 0.001).

Accentuated Molecular Detection Technique to Segregate and Identify Helminths of Fish through High Resolution Melting (HRM) Analysis

Real-time PCR coupled with high-resolution molecular (HRM) analysis was conducted to target the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The latter acted as a genetic marker to identify and distinguish two anisakid and one cucullanid species parasitizing marine and freshwater fish. Unique and distinct characteristics of HRM patterns were produced for each of the three roundworms investigated. The melt profiles and threshold of the cycles (Ct values), at which amplification commenced, for Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi), Contrcaecum osculatum (Rudolphi) Dujardin, Contrcaecum sp. and Dacnitoides cotylophora (Ward and Magath) were diagnostic for species. The molecular analyses by sequencing and comparing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal DNA of Dacnitoides, Anisakis and Contrcaecum assays established their distinct identity. The present investigation propagates molecular-phylogenetic and morpho-molecular analysis to characterize diagnostic constituents of cucullanid and anisakid roundworms.