''Philometra'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
nematode
The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...
s, which are
parasite
Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...
s of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by
Oronzio Gabriele Costa
Oronzo Gabriele Costa (26 August 1787, Alessano – 7 November 1867 Naples) was an Italian zoologist.
At first a physician, he taught zoology at the University of Naples. He wrote 126 papers on various subjects, principally entomology, and in 18 ...
in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of both marine and freshwater fishes. When still in the larval stages, these worms move to the body cavities or subcutaneous tissues in the host. This migration can cause damage to skeletal joints, result in internal bleeding, and inflame visceral organs. Emaciation and lowered growth rates may result from this.
Infestation produces nodules under the skin. When the worms are in the adult or juvenile stage, these nodules may be visible between the rays of the fins or may cause the scales to raise up. Larger nodules may be the result of gravid females which may rupture the skin surface. Once ruptured, the female disintegrates. This allows the release of the live larvae into the water. This wound on the fish then heals, leaving almost no scarring.
Species of ''Philometra'' require two hosts to complete their life cycle. After the larval worms are released from the host fish, they are ingested by
copepods
Copepods (; meaning 'oar-feet') are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. Some species are planktonic (living in the water column), some are benthic (living on the sediments), several species have ...
which act as an intermediate host. Once inside the copepod, the larvae
molt
In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is a process by which an animal casts off parts of its body to serve some beneficial purpose, either at ...
several times. Fish may then eat the infested copepod.
Known hosts
Species of this genus are known to parasitize numerous species of fish, including:
*
Blacktip grouper
The blacktip grouper (''Epinephelus fasciatus''), also known as the redbanded grouper, blacktipped cod, black-tipped rockcod, footballer cod, red-barred cod, red-barred rockcod, scarlet rock-cod or weathered rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-fi ...
*
Herring scad
*
Bigeye scad
*
Bluefish
The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as ta ...
Gallery
File:Parasite170008-fig1 - Ovary of fish with visible Philometra females.png, Ovary of fish with visible ''Philometra females''
File:Parasite140007-fig6 Philometra fasciati Moravec & Justine, 2008 (Nematoda, Philometridae).tif, ''Philometra fasciati
''Philometra fasciati'' is a species of parasite, parasitic nematode of fishes, first found off New Caledonia in the South Pacific, in the gonads ''Epinephelus fasciatus''. This species is characterized mainly by: length of spicules and length an ...
''
File:Parasite140007-fig1 Philometra austropacifica Moravec & Justine, 2014 (Nematoda, Philometridae).tif, '' Philometra austropacifica''
File:Parasite140007-fig9 Philometra selaris Moravec & Justine, 2014 (Nematoda, Philometridae).tif, '' Philometra selaris''
Parasite140132-fig1 Philometra protonibeae (Nematoda, Philometridae).png, '' Philometra protonibeae''
Parasite140132-fig2 Philometra protonibeae (Nematoda, Philometridae).png, '' Philometra protonibeae''
Parasite140132-fig3 Philometra protonibeae (Nematoda, Philometridae).png, '' Philometra protonibeae''
Parasite140132-fig4 Philometra sp. (Nematoda, Philometridae) from Lutjanus johnii.png, ''Philometra'' sp.
Taxonomy
The following species are recognized by the
World Register of Marine Species
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms.
Content
The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...
:
* ''
Philometra gerrei''
Moravec & Manoharan, 2013
* ''
Philometra globiceps
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
''
(Rudolphi, 1819)
* ''
Philometra lagocephali''
Moravec & Justine, 2008
* ''
Philometra onchorhynchi''
Kuitinen-Ekbaum, 1933
* ''
Philometra otolithi''
Moravec & Manoharan, 2013
* ''
Philometra ovata''
(Zeder, 1803)
* ''
Philometra priacanthi''
Moravec & Justine, 2009
* ''
Philometra rischta''
Skrjabin, 1917
* ''
Philometra rubra''
( Leidy, 1856)
* ''
Philometra saltatrix''
Ramachandran, 1973
* ''
Philometra sanguinea
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
''
( Rudolphi, 1819)
* ''
Philometra scombresoxis
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
''
Nikolaeva & Naidenova, 1964
* ''
Philometra sphyraenae
''Philometra sphyraenae'' is a species of parasite, parasitic nematode of fishes, infecting the gonads of marine perciform fishes off the eastern Indian coast. It was first found in the pickhandle barracuda, ''Sphyraena jello''. It is distinguis ...
''
Moravec & Manoharan, 2013
* ''
Philometra tauridica''
Ivashkin, Naidenova, Kovaleva & Khromova, 1971
* ''
Philometra translucida''
Walton, 1927
''Nomina dubia''
* ''
Philometra brevicollis''
Moravec & Justine, 2011
* ''
Philometra carolinensis''
Moravec, de Buron & Roumillat, 2006
* ''
Philometra cephalus''
Ramachandran, 1975
* ''
Philometra charlestonensis''
Moravec, de Buron, Baker & González-Solís, 2008
* ''
Philometra cyanopodi''
Moravec & Justine, 2008
* ''
Philometra cynoscionis''
Moravec, de Buron & Roumillat, 2006
* ''
Philometra fasciati
''Philometra fasciati'' is a species of parasite, parasitic nematode of fishes, first found off New Caledonia in the South Pacific, in the gonads ''Epinephelus fasciatus''. This species is characterized mainly by: length of spicules and length an ...
''
Moravec & Justine, 2008
* ''
Philometra filiformis''
( Stossich, 1896)
* ''
Philometra floridensis''
Moravec, Fajer-Avila & Bakenhaster, 2010
* ''
Philometra genypteri''
Moravec, Chávez & Olivia, 2011
* ''
Philometra gymnothoracis''
Moravec & Buron, 2009
* ''
Philometra inimici''
Yamaguti, 1941
* ''
Philometra isaki
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
''
Quiazon, Yoshinaga & Ogawa, 2008
* ''
Philometra jordanoi''
(López-Neyra, 1951)
* ''
Philometra justinei''
Moravec, Ternengo & Levron, 2006
* ''
Philometra katsuwoni''
Petter & Baudin-Laurencin, 1986
* ''
Philometra lateolabracis''
( Yamaguti, 1935)
* ''
Philometra lethrini''
Moravec & Justine, 2008
* ''
Philometra macroandri''
(Shchepkina, 1978)
* ''
Philometra madai''
Quiazon, Yoshinaga & Ogawa, 2008
* ''
Philometra managatuwo''
Yamaguti, 1941
* ''
Philometra margolisi''
Moravec, et al., 1995
* ''
Philometra mexicana
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
''
Moravec & Salgado-Maldonado, 2007
* ''
Philometra mira''
Moravec & Justine, 2011
* ''
Philometra nemipteri''
Luo, 2001
* ''
Philometra neolateolabracis''
Rajyalakshmi, Hanumantha Rao & Shyamasundari, 1985
* ''
Philometra neptomeni''
Mateo, 1972
* ''
Philometra obladae''
Moravec, Gaglio, Panebianco & Giannetto, 2008
* ''
Philometra obturans''
(Prennant, 1886)
* ''
Philometra ocularis''
Moravec, Ogawa, Suzuki, Miyazaki & Donai, 2002
* ''
Philometra overstreeti''
Moravec & de Buron, 2006
* ''
Philometra pellucida''
(Jägerskiöld, 1893)
* ''
Philometra rajani''
Mukherjee, 1963
* ''
Philometra sciaenae''
Yamaguti, 1941
* ''
Philometra scomberomori''
( Yamaguti, 1935)
* ''
Philometra sebastisci''
Yamaguti, 1941
* ''
Philometra serranellicabrillae''
Janiszewska, 1949
* ''
Philometra strongylurae''
Moravec & Ali, 2005
* ''
Philometra tenuicauda''
Moravec & Justine, 2009
* ''
Philometra terapontis''
Moravec, Gopalakrishnan, Rajkumar, Saravanakumar & Kaliyamoorthy, 2011
* ''
Philometra tylosuri''
Moravec & Ali, 2005
References
Further reading
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q5268606
Secernentea genera
Camallanida
Parasitic nematodes of fish
Taxa named by Oronzio Gabriele Costa