A Comparison of Speciation in Diclidophorinean Monogenean Gill Parasites and in Their Fish Hosts

Abstract

Twelve species of monogenean gill parasites belonging to the subfamily Diclidophorinae and species-specific to mainly gadid fish hosts have been compared with each other, and their taxonomic interrelationships assessed. A comparison of the resulting classification with that of Svetovidov's of the hosts has shown a considerable degree of correspondence between, and hence of mutual support for, the two independently derived classifications. However, since a very substantial majority of gadid species do not have monogenean gill parasites, the usefulness of a classification of these parasites in elucidating taxonomic problems of the hosts is correspondingly limited.