Allopseudaxine is a genus which belongs to the phylum Platyhelminthes and class Monogenea; all its species are parasites of fish.
Morphology Species of Allopseudaxine are ectoparasites that attach themselves as larvae to the gills of fish, and grow into their adult stage. This larval stage is called oncomiracidium, and is characterized by free swimming and cilia. The name Allopseudaxine is composed of the prefix Allo meaning different, and a root Pseudaxine, a gastrocotylid monogenean. Thus the name Allopseudaxine means "different from Pseudaxine". In fact, species of Allopseudaxine have a large body tapering anteriorly, and a unilateral, oblique haptor (a single oblique row of clamps), giving them a triangular appearance. With this shape, they superficially resemble gastrocotylid monogeneans like members of Pseudaxine or Allogastrocotyle. However, species of Allopseudaxine can be distinguished from these Gastrocotylidae by their clamp structure and also the arrangement of testes: in Allopseudaxine testes are para-ovarian and post-ovarian, whereas in gastrocotylids testes are only post-ovarian.
Systematics The genus Allopseudaxine was created by Yamaguti in 1943, to include Pseudaxine katsuwonis.Yamaguti, S. (1965) New Monogenetic trematodes from Hawaiian fishes, I. Pacific Science, 19, 55–95. PDF This genus was placed in a new family erected by Price, Allopseudaxinidae.Price, E.W. (1962b) Redescription of two exotic species of Monogenetic trematodes and the proposal of a new family. Proceedings Of The Biological Society Of Washington, 75, 295-302. PDF Currently, it is included with Allopseudaxinoides in the subfamily Allopseudaxininae and the family Axinidae. Yamaguti, S. (1963). Systema Helminthum Volume IV Monogenea and Aspidocotylea: John Wiley & Sons
Species Four species have been included in Allopseudaxine: Allopseudaxine katsuwonis (Ishii, 1936)石井信太郎・澤田利貞 (1937). 外部寄生性吸蟲類ノ研究. 日本寄生虫学会記事 9: 93-97. (Ishii, N. and Sawada, T. (1937). [Studies on the ectoparasitic trematodes]. Nihon Kiseichū Gakkai Kiji 9: 3-97. [In Japanese])Yamaguti, 1943 Allopseudaxine macrova (Unnithan, 1957) Yamaguti, 1963 Allopseudaxine yaito Yamaguti, 1968Yamaguti S. 1968: Monogenetic Trematodes of Hawaiian Fishes. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 287 pp. Allopseudaxine vagans (Ishii, 1936)Price, 1962 currently included in the genus Allopseudaxinoides as Allopseudaxinoides vagans (Ishii, 1936)Yamaguti, 1968
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