Microcotyle branchiostegi is a species of monogenean, parasitic on the gills of a marine fish. It belongs to the family Microcotylidae. Yamaguti, S. (1937a). Studies on the Helminth Fauna of Japan. Part 17. Trematodes From a Marine Fish, Branchiostegus japonicus (Houttuyn). Published by the author. pp. 1–19.
Taxonomy Microcotyle branchiostegi was first described by Yamaguti in 1937 from the gills of the horsehead tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus off Japan. Unnithan (1971) placed this species in the new genus and subgenus Caenomicrocotyle as Caenomicrocotyle (Caenomicrocotyle) branchiostegi.Unnithan, R. V. (1971). On the functional morphology of a new fauna of Monogenoidea on fishes from Trivandrum and environs. Part IV. Microcotylidae sensu stricto and its repartition into subsidiary taxa. American Midland Naturalist, 366-398. However, this genus and this subgenus were returned into the genus Microcotyle by Mamaev. Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199-206. PDF
Hosts and localities
The type-host is the horsehead tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus (Malacanthidae). The type-locality is off Japan.
References