Date of Award

Spring 5-2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Committee Chair

Robin Overstreet

Committee Chair Department

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Committee Member 2

Jeff Lotz

Committee Member 2 Department

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Committee Member 3

Reg Blaylock

Committee Member 3 Department

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Committee Member 4

Richard Heard

Committee Member 4 Department

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Abstract

The Haploporidae is a family of digeneans united by the combination of the possession of a hermaphroditic sac and a single testis or, rarely, two tandem testes. The major divisions in the Haploporidae have been based on the organization, development, and nature of the male and female reproductive systems. Overstreet and Curran (2005) has been the only attempt to organize the genera of the Haploporidae in a subfamilial framework. In the present work the validity of the subfamily Waretrematinae by Overstreet and Curran (2005) is assessed by morphological and molecular methods, based on original descriptions, type and vouchered, specimens and newly collected material for morphology and rDNA sequence data analyses. These analyses conflicted with hypotheses and framework by Overstreet and Curran (2005) in that: (1) Megasoleninae is the basal subfamily within the Haploporidae; (2) Waretrematinae and Haploporinae are not sister groups; (3) species of Spiritestis and Capitimitta, both previously considered members of Waretrema, are not closely related; (4) Waretrematinae was not monophyletic when Unisaccus and New Genus 1, new species are included; (5) species of Unisaccoides and Unisaccus species are closely related; and (6) species of Intromugil are allocated to Chalcinotrematinae rather than Waretrematinae. Reports of Waretrema were determined to comprise members of three different genera. The morphology of Intromugil was accessed by the redescription of I. mugilicolus from newly collected material and a new species is described. Species from the Indo-Pacific region possessing spirally arranged pads in the hermaphroditic duct and a caecum were accessed and required changes to the organization and membership of several genera plus changes to the intergeneric relations within the family based on phylogenetic analysis. Members of the genera Platydidymus and Carassotrema were assessed and a new species was described. Two new genera of haploporid were diagnosed, a new species was described for each, and phylogenetic relations are estimated. A new genus and new species of Megaperidae are described, and molecular data were provided for three other species. Previously, megaperid species were members of the Apocreadiidae rather than the Haploporidae. Phylogenetic hypotheses based on Bayesian Inference analysis of an alignment of partial 28S gene sequences of haploporids provide a framework for the evaluation of the interrelationships within the Haploporidae.

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