# Microcotyle helotes

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{{short description|Species of worm}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = 
| image_caption =  
| genus = Microcotyle
| species = helotes
| authority = Sandars, 1944
| synonyms = *''Microcotyle (Microcotyle) helotes'' <small>(Sandars, 1944) Unnithan1971</small><ref name="Sandars1944"/><ref name="Unnithan1971"/>
}}

'''''Microcotyle helotes''''' is a [species](/source/species) of [monogenea](/source/monogenea)n, [parasitic](/source/fish_parasites) on the [gills](/source/gills) of a marine [fish](/source/fish). It belongs to the family [Microcotylidae](/source/Microcotylidae).<ref name="Sandars1944">Sandars, Dorothea F. (1944). A contribution to the knowledge of the Microcotylidae of Western Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 68(1), 67-81. [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41564495 PDF in BHL] {{open access}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
''Microcotyle helotes'' was described and illustrated by Sandars (1944) based on 11 specimens from the gills of the eastern striped grunter, ''Helotes sexlineatus'' ([Terapontidae](/source/Terapontidae)) from off [Safety Bay](/source/Safety_Bay), [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia).<ref name="Sandars1944"/> 
Unnithan (1971) placed ''M. helotes'' in the nominal subgenus ''Microcotyle'' as ''Microcotyle (Microcotyle) helotes''.<ref name="Unnithan1971">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.</ref> However, this combinaison was suppressed by Mamaev in 1986.<ref name="Mamaev1986">Mamaev, Y. L. (1986). The taxonomical composition of the family Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 (Monogenea). Folia Parasitologica, 33, 199-206. [https://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/1986/03/02.pdf PDF] {{open access}}</ref> This monogenean was redescribed and illustrated by Dillon & Hargis (1985) based on 2 adults and one 1 juvenile from the type-host and locality.<ref name="Dillon&al1985">Dillon, W. A., Hargis Jr, W. J., & Harrises, A. E. (1985). Monogeneans from the southern Pacific Ocean: Polyopisthocotyleids from the Australian fishes. The subfamily Microcotylinae. Zoologicheskiy Zhurnal [1984], 63, (3), 348-359. Translation Series Number 32 of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, U.S.A. March, 1985  [http://www.vims.edu/GreyLit/VIMS/trans32 PDF of English Translation from Russian] {{open access}}</ref> Although Williams (1991) recovered specimens of ''Microcotyle helotes'' from the type-host and a second [Terapontidae](/source/Terapontidae), ''Pelsartia humeralis'', from the type locality, he redescribed ''Microcotyle helotes'' from ''Pelsartia humeralis'' only.<ref name="Williams1991">{{cite journal|last1=Williams|first1=Alan|title=Monogeneans of the families Microcotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 and Heteraxinidae Price, 1962 from Western Australia, including the description of ''Polylabris sandarsae'' n. sp. (Microcotylidae)|journal=Systematic Parasitology|volume=18|issue=1|year=1991|pages=17–43|issn=0165-5752|doi=10.1007/BF00012221}}</ref>
Minor differences were noted in the redescriptions.<ref name="Dillon&al1985"/><ref name="Williams1991"/> Williams (1991) noted that examination of a large series of specimens from both hosts showed them to be identical.<ref name="Williams1991"/>

==Morphology==
''Microcotyle helotes'' has the general morphology of all species of ''[Microcotyle](/source/Microcotyle)'', with a symmetrical elongated body of medium size, comprising an anterior part which contains most organs and a posterior part called the [haptor](/source/haptor). The haptor is symmetrical, and bears 62 [clamps](/source/clamp_(zoology)), arranged as two rows, one on each side. The clamps of the haptor attach the animal to the [gill](/source/gill) of the fish. There are also two buccal septated [suckers](/source/sucker_(zoology)) at the anterior extremity. The digestive organs include an anterior, terminal mouth, a circular pharynx, an [oesophagus](/source/oesophagus) dividing shortly behind the genital atrium and a posterior [intestine](/source/intestine) with two lateral branches provided with numerous secondary branches; the branches extends into the haptor. Each adult contains male and female reproductive organs. The reproductive organs include an anterior genital atrium, armed with numerous minute [spines](/source/spine_(zoology)), a medio-dorsal [vagina](/source/vagina), a single [ovary](/source/ovary) and 14 irregular [testes](/source/testicle) which are posterior to the ovary.<ref name="Sandars1944"/>

==Hosts and localities==
thumb|left|The eastern striped grunter, ''Helotes sexlineatus'' is the type host of ''Microcotyle helotes''
[[File:Therapon theraps Ford 18.jpg|thumb|left|The sea trumpeter ''[Terapon theraps](/source/Terapon_theraps)'' is also host of ''Microcotyle helotes'']]
The eastern striped grunter, ''Helotes sexlineatus'' ([Terapontidae](/source/Terapontidae)) is the type host of ''Microcotyle helotes''.<ref name="Sandars1944"/><ref name="Dillon&al1985"/><ref name="Williams1991"/> It was redescribed from others [Terapontidae](/source/Terapontidae); ''Pelsartia humeralis'',<ref name="Williams1991"/> and the sea trumpeter ''[Terapon theraps](/source/Terapon_theraps)''.<ref name="Zhangetal2001">Zhang J.Y., Yang T.B. & Liu L. (2001) Monogeneans of Chinese marine fishes. Beijing: Agriculture Press, 400 pp. (In
Chinese)</ref>
''Microcotyle helotes'' was first described from fishes caught off [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia).<ref name="Sandars1944"/> 
This monogenean was reported again from the type locality,<ref name="Williams1991"/><ref name="Dillon&al1985"/> and from South China Sea.<ref name="Zhangetal2001"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1838474}}

Category:Microcotyle
Category:Parasites of fish
Category:Animals described in 1944
Category:Flatworms of Australia

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Microcotyle helotes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcotyle_helotes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcotyle_helotes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.