Patterns of host-parasite associations between marine meiofaunal flatworms (Platyhelminthes) and rhytidocystids (Apicomplexa).

ABSTRACT: Microturbellarians are abundant and ubiquitous members of marine meiofaunal communities around the world. Because of their small body size, these microscopic animals are rarely considered as hosts for parasitic organisms. Indeed, many protists, both free-living and parasitic ones, equal or surpass meiofaunal animals in size. Despite several anecdotal records of "gregarines", "sporozoans", and "apicomplexans" parasitizing microturbellarians in the literature-some of them dating back to the nineteenth century-these single-celled parasites have never been identified and characterized. More recently, the sequencing of eukaryotic microbiomes in microscopic invertebrates have revealed a hidden diversity of protist parasites infecting microturbellarians and other meiofaunal animals. Here we show

SUBMITTER: Van Steenkiste NWL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10687266 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature