Stemmatostoma cribbi n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Freshwater Fishes in the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia

A new species of parasitic flatworm, Stemmatostoma cribbi, has been discovered in freshwater fishes within the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia. This digenean parasite, belonging to the family Cryptogonimidae, was identified in the intestines and pyloric caeca of grunter fish (Hephaestus fuliginosus and Hephaestus tulliensis) and Jungle perch (Kuhlia rupestris). Distinguishing it from its only known relative, Stemmatostoma pearsoni, are fewer oral spines (14 vs. 16) and notable genetic differences across three rDNA regions, with up to 7.2% divergence in the ITS2 region. Phylogenetic analyses using partial LSU data further elucidated its evolutionary relationships within cryptogonimid species from freshwater ecosystems.

Miller, T. L., & Adlard, R. D. (2020). Stemmatostoma cribbi n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Freshwater Fishes in the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia. Journal of Parasitology, 106(3), 411. https://doi.org/10.1645/19-60