Diplectanidae

The Diplectanidae are a family of monopisthocotylean monogeneans. They are all parasitic on the gills of fish. Diplectanids are small animals, generally around 1 mm in length. As parasites, they can be extremely numerous, up to several thousand on an individual fish.

History

The family Diplectanidae was proposed by the Italian parasitologist Monticelli in 1903. The status of the family and its components was later examined by various authors, including Johnston & Tiegs, Price, Bychowsky, Yamaguti, and Oliver.

Morphology

Diplectanids are diagnosed by the combination of these three characters:

Presence of accessory adhesive organs on dorsal and ventral part of the haptor, called squamodiscs when they are made up of rodlets and lamellodiscs when they include lamellae
In the haptor, three transversal bars, connected to two pairs of hooks
A germarium which is anterior to the testis and loops around the right intestinal caecum

Genera

The genera recognized in WoRMS are:Acanthocercodes Kritsky & Diggles, 2015 Acleotrema Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 Aetheolabes Boeger & Kritsky, 2009 Anoplectanum Boeger, Fehlauer & Marques, 2006 Calydiscoides Young, 1969 Darwinoplectanum Domingues, Diamanka & Pariselle, 2011 Diplectanocotyla Yamaguti, 1953 Diplectanum Diesing, 1858 Echinoplectanum Justine & Euzet, 2006 Furcohaptor Bijukumar & Kearn, 1996 Lamellodiscus Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 Latericaecum Young, 1969 Laticola Yang, Kritsky, Sun, Zhang, Shi & Agrawal, 2006 Lepidotrema Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 Lobotrema Tripathi, 1959 Monoplectanum Young, 1969 Murraytrema Price, 1937 Murraytrematoides Yamaguti, 1958 Nasobranchitrema Yamaguti, 1965 Neodiplectanum Mizelle & Blatz, 1941 Oliveriplectanum Domingues & Boeger, 2008 Paradiplectanum Domingues & Boeger, 2008 Protolamellodiscus Oliver, 1969 Pseudodiplectanum Tripathi, 1955 Pseudolamellodiscus Yamaguti, 1953 Pseudomurraytrematoides Domingues & Boeger, 2008 Pseudorhabdosynochus Yamaguti, 1958 Pseudorhamnocercoides Chero, Cruces, Sáez, Iannacone & Luque, 2017 Rhabdosynochus Mizelle & Blatz, 1941 Rhamnocercoides Luque & Iannacone, 1991 Rhamnocercus Monaco, Wood & Mizelle, 1954 Sinodiplectanotrema Zhang in Zhang, Yang & Liu, 2001 Spinomatrix Boeger, Fehlauer & Marques, 2006 Telegamatrix Ramalingam, 1955 Teraplectanum Lim, 2015