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Adults of Lasiotocus lizae Liu, 2002 (Monorchiidae) were found in the mullet Liza longimanus (Günther) from Tonkin Bay, near Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. In this region, flukes belonging to the genus Paucivitellosus (Bivesiculudae) were found in Liza subviridis (Valenciennes), Liza engeli (Bleeker) and Valamugil seheli (Forskåi). Results of investigations showed that morphological features of L. lizae (like L. glebulentus Overstreet, 1971) do not meet the criteria of the genus Lasiotocus. In addition, L. lizae is highly differentiated from other species of Lasiotocus from which molecular data were obtained, including L. arrhichostoma Searle, Cutmore et Cribb, 2014 and L. typicum (Nicoll, 1912). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that L. lizae differs considerably from other species of the genus Lasiotocus presented in the GenBank database. We have identified a new species of the genus Paucivitellosus – P. vietnamensis sp. n. – from L. subviridis, which differs from P. fragilis Coil, Reid et Kuntz, 1965 by metrical and molecular (18S rRNA) data, and from P. hanumanthai Mani, 1989 by metric features. Our results also show considerable molecular differentiation between P. vietnamensis sp. n. and Paucivitellosus spp. recovered from L. engeli and V. seheli in Vietnam.

The taxonomy of the family Mugilidae has historically posed challenges, marked by discrepancies between described and valid species, compounded by cryptic diversity and a similar external appearance. Previous studies left four of six lineages unidentified within Crenimugil, including Crenimugil sp. A and Crenimugil sp. B. The goal of this study is to provide a detailed revision of species assigned to Crenimugil by examining specimens from the Red Sea, which is the type locality of Mugil crenilabis, Mugil seheli and Mugil tade, which were here genetically analyzed. After demonstrating that the genus contains nine monophyletic lineages and Moolgarda pura is a valid nominal species, the mugilid genus Moolgarda is restored. Consequently, Moolgarda has priority over Crenimugil and Valamugil. Additional morphological analyses of specimens from the Red Sea assigned to Moolgarda sp. A and Moolgarda sp. B identified them as representing Moolgarda seheli and Moolgarda crenilabis, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis, including new DNA barcodes, confirmed a wide distribution range of both species in the Indo-West Pacific. The identity of the lineage previously identified as Crenimugil crenilabis remains doubtful, and it is referred to as Moolgarda cf. crenilabis here. A third lineage, previously named Crenimugil buchanani, is re-described as Moolgarda tade, a species originally reported from the Red Sea with a long history of taxonomic confusion. The species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific and distinguished from other congeners by falcate second dorsal and anal fins that are distinctly higher than the first dorsal fin. A detailed description of the Red Sea specimens of M. crenilabis, M. seheli and M. tade is provided, with comments to other unnamed lineages.

Adult Lecithaster mugilis Yamaguti, 1970 were found in Moolgarda seheli, Valamugil engeli and Liza subviridis in the coastal waters of Cat Ba Island (Halong Bay, Vietnam). Specimens of Lecithaster sudzuhensis n. sp. were found in Mugil cephalus located in an estuary of the Kievka River in the Primorsky region of Russia. Studies have demonstrated that these species share significant morphometric similarities with each other and with specimens of L. helodes Overstreet, 1973 isolated from M. cephalus and Mugil curema from the Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters. These three species differ from one another in the size of the pharynx and ventral sucker and in the ratio of suckers, while they differ from other species in the genus by having a relatively elongated oesophagus. Molecular analysis, using the 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes, confirmed the validity of L. mugilis and L. sudzuhensis n. sp. and demonstrated that these species form a shared cluster with L. gibbosus (Rud, 1802).

Ligophorus belanaki n. sp. and Ligophorus kederai n. sp. are described from Liza subviridis Valenciennes, 1836 and Valamugil buchanani Bleeker, 1854, respectively. Ligophorus kederai n. sp. has fenestrated ventral anchors, while in L. belanaki n. sp. the ventral anchor is not fenestrated. Ligophorus belanaki n. sp. is similar to L. careyensis , one of its coexisting congeners, in the overall shape and size of hard parts, but differs in having a flat median piece in the structure of the AMP (antero-median protuberance of the ventral bar), copulatory organ with non-ornamented initial part and longer vaginal tube, compared to raised median piece in the AMP, ornamented initial part and comparatively shorter vaginal tube in L. careyensis . Ligophorus kederai n. sp. is similar to L. fenestrum , a coexisting congener, in having fenestrated ventral anchors, but differs in having longer points and narrower base. Ligophorus fenestrum , unlike L. kederai n. sp., also possesses fenestrated dorsal anchors. The principal component analysis (PCA) scatterplots indicate that the two new and eight known Ligophorus species from Malaysian mugilids can be differentiated based on the morphometries of their anchors, ventral bars and copulatory organ separately and when combined together. Numerical taxonomy (NT) analyses based on Jaccard's Index of Similarity and neighbour-joining clustering, is used to facilitate comparison of these two new species with the 50 known Ligophorus based on morphological and metric characters. The two new species are different from each other and the other 50 species in the overall shapes and sizes of hard parts, as indicated by the NT analyses.

The relationships between larval fish assemblages and hydrographic features in the East China Sea (ECS) and waters surrounding Taiwan were studied in the winter of 2008. A total of 3824 larvae representing 165 taxa in 82 families were identified. Sigmops gracilis was the most dominant species, accounting for 19.15 % of the total larval fish samples, followed by Scorpaenidae spp. (5.88 %) and Valamugil sp. (5.70 %). Through a cluster analysis, the spatial distributions of larval fishes were classified into four assemblages: Kuroshio subassemblage I, Kuroshio subassemblage II, ECS assemblage, and Taiwan Strait (TS) assemblage. During the winter, high abundance of larval fishes was observed in the warm offshore Kuroshio areas, whereas low abundance was observed in the ECS region. The environment of Kuroshio was suitable for the survival of mesopelagic fish larvae, among which the most dominant species was S. gracilis . Demersal fish larvae thrived in the ECS and TS, where Scorpaenidae spp. larvae were the dominant taxa. In addition, water masses north of Taiwan were located in a conflux zone comprising the Mixed China Coastal Water (MCCW) and the Kuroshio Current. Moreover, a frontal zone also formed between the northward intrusion of Kuroshio Branch Water and MCCW in the middle of the TS. Consequently, the structures of larval fish assemblages exhibited transitional features in these frontal areas. The geographic locations and distribution patterns of larval fish assemblages in the study area corresponded closely with the hydrographic conditions during the northeastern monsoon.

Environmental factors, such as textile waste water, affect fish by interfering its reproduction. This study was conducted to examine reproductive performance of fish inhabiting a river that receive batik waste. The fish samples were collected in 5 stations representing upstream area, effluent disposal area, and downstream area. Sex ratio, Gonado Somatic Index (GSI), Hepatosomatic Index (HSI) of female and male was examined, and physicochemical water parameters of each station were measured. Ten species of 8 families were captured. Anabas testudinaeus (n=101), Trichogaster trichopterus (n=310), Mugil sp (n=3), Scatophagus argus (n=8), Valamugil speigleri (n=11), Channa striata (n=2), Bagrus nemurus (n=1), Laiognathus fasciatus (n=2), Oreochromis niloticus (n=1), O. mossambicus (n=5). Mugil sp, V. speigleri, and L. fasciatus were juvenile, and found at the downstream area. The GSI of female and male A. testudinaeus were 0.31-5.52% and 0.34-3.32%; the HSI was 0.77-2.01% and 0.68-1.79%. The GSI of female and male T. trichopterus were 0.12-7.9% and nd-3,7%; the HSI was 0.77-2.17% and 0.6-2.0%. The BOD level ranged from 13.81 ± 6.13 to 47.58 ± 32.59 mg.L−1, COD was between 190 ± 80 and 435 ± 196 mg.L−1, DO was from 0 to 1.37 ± 1.62 mg.L−1, level phenol ranged from 0.50 ± 0.34 to 4.20 ± 1.6 µg.L−1. Fish of Meduri River were reproductively active but only those resistant to low water quality reproduced successfully.

The gills of three of five species of mullets (Teleostei: Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) collected from the brackish and fresh waters of southern Iraq were infected with species of Ligophorus (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) as follows: greenback mullet Chelon subviridis (Valenciennes) infected with Ligophorus lebedevi Dmitrieva, Gerasev, Gibson, Pronkina and Galli, 2012, Ligophorus bantingensis Soo and Lim, 2012, Ligophorus sagmarius n. sp., and Ligophorus fluviatilis (Bychowsky, 1949) Dmitrieva, Gerasev, Gibson, Pronkina, and Galli, 2012; Klunzinger’s mullet Liza klunzingeri (Day) with L. bantingensis, L. fluviatilis, and an apparently undescribed species of Ligophorus; and abu mullet Liza abu (Heckel) with L. bantingensis and L. fluviatilis. The keeled mullet Liza carinata (Valenciennes) and Speigler’s mullet Valamugil speigleri (Bleeker) were uninfected. L. sagmarius n. sp. is described, and L. lebedevi and L. bantingensis are redescribed. Available specimens of L. fluviatilis and the undescribed species of Ligophorus from Klunzinger’s mullet were insufficient for description.

Gyrodactylus aff. mugili Zhukov, 1970 (Monogenoidea: Gyrodactylidae) is recorded and described from the gill lamellae of 11 of 35 greenback mullet, Chelon subviridis (Valenciennes) (minimum prevalence 31%), from the brackish waters of the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary in southern Iraq. The gyrodactylid was also found on the gill lamellae of one of eight Speigler's mullet, Valamugil speigleri (Bleeker), from the brackish waters of the Shatt Al-Basrah Canal (minimum prevalence 13%). Fifteen Klunzinger's mullet, Liza klunzingeri (Day), and 13 keeled mullet, Liza carinata (Valenciennes), collected and examined from southern Iraqi waters, were apparently uninfected. The gyrodactylids from the greenback mullet and Speigler's mullet were considered to have affinity to G. mugili Zhukov, 1970, and along with G. mugili may represent members of a species complex occurring on mullets in the Indo-Pacific Region. A single damaged gyrodactylid from the external surfaces of the abu mullet, Liza abu (Heckel), was insufficient for species identification. Previously identified species of Gyrodactylus recorded on L. abu in Iraq by various authors were considered possible misidentifications or accidental infections.

A new myxosporean species, Myxobolus supamattayai n. sp., was isolated from wild mullet (Valamugil seheli) from the Andaman Sea, Thailand and described based on its morphology and molecular data. The myxosporean produced black plasmodia-like unique clinical sign on the skin with sporogonic stages and mature spores. Polysporous plasmodia, up to 2.5 mm in diameter, were found in epithelium tissue in the scale pocket. The spores measured 6.6 (6.2–7.0) μm in length, 6.5 (6.2–6.7) μm in width, smooth, and round board to ellipsoidal in valvular view. Spores were enclosed with intracapsular process which represents 5–7 and 11–12 in amount revealed in light microscopy and ultrastructure, respectively. The polar capsules were pyriform and of equal size, measuring 3.5 (3.4–3.6) μm in length and 2.0 (1.9–2.2) μm in width, with four to five turns of polar filament arranged perpendicularly to longitudinal axis of the polar capsule. In conclusion, this new species is entirely different from those previously described; however, this finding was assured by the partial sequence of SSU rRNA gene (1,666 bp) analysis that differed from all known species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882. The phylogenetic tree of the sequence data sets including those of freshwater and marine of Myxobolus spp. and the sister group (Henneguya spp.) was constructed to establish the relationship of this new species in Myxobolus clade and to explore its relations between their sister groups. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that a monophyletic group with Myxobolus spp. which infected mullet represents the newly formed species. These results suggested the presumably nearby evolution prospecting of Myxobolus species that were found in the same host.