Abstract Spirotrichonymphea, one of the six classes of phylum Parabasalia, are characterized by bearing many flagella in spiral rows, and they occur exclusively in the guts of termites. Phylogenetic relationships among the 13 described genera are not well understood due to complex morphological evolution and a paucity of molecular data. One such understudied genus isSpironympha. It has been variously considered a valid genus, a subgenus ofSpirotrichonympha, or an “immature” life cycle stage ofSpirotrichonympha. To clarify this, we sequenced the small subunit rRNA gene sequences ofSpironymphaandSpirotrichonymphacells isolated from the hindguts ofReticulitermesspecies andHodotermopsis sjostedtiand confirmed the molecular identity ofH. sjostedtisymbionts using fluorescence in situ hybridization.Spironymphaas currently circumscribed is polyphyletic, with bothH. sjostedtisymbiont species branching separately from the “true”SpironymphafromReticulitermes. Similarly, theSpirotrichonymphasymbiont ofH. sjostedtibranches separately from the “true”Spirotrichonymphafound inReticulitermes. Our data supportSpironymphafromReticulitermesas a valid genus most closely related toSpirotrichonympha, though its monophyly and interspecific relationships are not resolved in our molecular phylogenetic analysis. We propose three new genera to accommodate theH. sjostedtisymbionts and two new species ofSpirotrichonymphafromReticulitermes.
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A taxonomic revision of Parachela with descriptions of two new species (Cypriniformes: Xenocyprididae)
Abstract The taxonomy of theParachela–Oxygaster–Macrochirichthysclade of Xenocyprididae has been confused since the original descriptions ofParachela oxygastroidesandParachela hypophthalmusin the mid‐19th century. The confusion seems attributable to the substantial intraspecific variation in color and other morphological characteristics of species ofOxygasterandParachela. Morphological data on 401 specimens from throughout the range ofParachelaand molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that six available species names forParachelaare valid:Parachela cyanea,P. hypophthalmus,Parachela ingerkongi,Parachela johorensis(removed from the synonymy ofP. oxygastroides),P. oxygastroides, andParachela williaminae. In addition, two new species ofParachela,Parachela melanostictaandParachela microlepis, are described.Chela pointoniis a synonym ofP. oxygastroides, not a valid species ofOxygasteras previously hypothesized, andParachela maculicaudais a synonym ofParachela johorensis. Considerable morphological and genetic variation is present in all well‐sampled species ofParachela.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1839915
- PAR ID:
- 10649503
- Publisher / Repository:
- Journal of Fish Biology
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Fish Biology
- Volume:
- 105
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0022-1112
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1875 to 1905
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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