Abstract

Purpose The intertidal and supratidal coastal zone challenges the osmoregulatory capacity of aquatic inhabitants. Four new species of Gyrodactylus ectoparasites on two intertidal fishes from Chile are described based on molecular and morphological analyses. Methods Monogeneans were found from two fish species, the clingfish Sicyases sanguineus Muller Troschel, 1843 and the combtooth blenny Scartichthys viridis Valenciennes, 1836. The morphology was described by drawings, and minimal measurements. The parasites were barcoded via the sequencing of the ribosomal DNA over ITS1-5.8S-ITS2. Results The air-breathing clingfish S. sanguineus carried Gyrodactylus amphibius sp. nov., hiding in the ventral sucker formed by the modified pectoral fins of the fish. The intertidal combtooth blenny S. viridis carried three other new species: Gyrodactylus scartichthi sp. nov., Gyrodactylus viridae sp. nov., and Gyrodactylus zietarae sp. nov. Conclusion The four new species were all phylogenetically related with the previously described G. chileani Zietara et al. 2012 on triplefin Helcogrammoides chilensis Cancino, 1960 in the same habitat. Thus, the five Chilean Pacific Gyrodactylus species formed a statistically well-supported (100%) monophyletic clade together with three geographically distant species recorded in Europe. The Chilean Pacific parasites are not related to G. salinae and G. magadiensis, parasites described in extreme osmotic stress environments earlier.