Additional morphometric and phylogenetic studies on Mothocya melanosticta (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitizing the Red Sea Nemipterus randalli fish in Egypt

Cymothoidae, Leach, 1818 (Crustacea: Isopoda) are ectoparasites of marine, brackish and freshwater fishes that are reported to induce deleterious tissue impacts on the infested fish hosts. The present study aimed for the first-time screening of Mothocya melanosticta collected from the red sea fish Nemipterus randalli in Egypt. Surveillance study was conducted for isopod infestation among the Red Sea fish N. randalli revealing a total infestation rate of 40.96% with the species identified as M. melanosticta. The parasite species was isolated from the branchial cavity and gills. Morphometric description was estimated using dissecting stereo-microscope, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) provided new additional features for the isolated species including the microtrich sensillum in the body cuticle and the fine structure of the mouth parts and body appendages. Mitochondrial COI gene of M. melanosticta female isolated in the present study from N. randalli was detected for the first time in Egypt and recorded in the GenBank (MK168807). The study showed that the detected isopod species represents one monophyletic group closely affiliated to the genospecies of M. melanosticta, and can be distinguished clearly from other isopods genospecies. Based on the genetic distance values, lower level of genetic divergence was indicated within the genospecies of the present M. melanosticta isolated from Egypt and the same species isolated from India. The present investigation recorded N. randalli fish as a new host for the isopod M. melanosticta in Egypt and provided additional morphological features through SEM as well as molecular characterization of this isopod species for the first time.