Amit Tripathi, Chawan Matey, Antoine Pariselle, Maarten P.M. Vanhove 

Chindongo socolofi (Cichliformes, Cichlidae) is a popular freshwater ornamental fish
from Lake Malawi in Africa. Although identifying parasites associated with the global
ornamental trade is critical for developing biosecurity practices, little is known about the
parasite fauna of C. socolofi. Therefore, this study sought to determine what
monogenean parasites C. socolofi harbours in India. Adult specimens of this host
species were collected from various aquarium shops across the country between 2020
and 2022, and their gills were subjected to parasitological examination. Monogeneans
were detected in five host specimens (22.7%) with low mean intensities (6.2± 3.8).
They were identified as Cichlidogyrus tilapiae (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) based on
the presence of the following morphometric characteristics: two pairs of anchors, two
auricles on the dorsal bar, a V-shaped ventral bar, and an accessory piece with a
folded rim and a bent bifurcated tip. The morphological identification was confirmed by
the sequence analysis of the specimen’s 18S-ITS1 gene regions and 28S rRNA genes
to C. tilapiae from Paratilapia polleni (Cichliformes, Cichlidae) in Madagascar
(GenBank accession numbers MH767400 (18S–ITS1) and MH767412 (28S),
respectively). This article is the first report on a species of Cichlidogyrus in India,
contributing to the growing list of known freshwater monogeneans that are being
distributed globally via the ornamental fish trade. Additionally, it adds a new host
species (C. socolofi) and geographic location (India) to the existing knowledge of C.
tilapiae, a widespread and often co-introduced tropical fish parasite.