An Alien Monogenean, Ligictaluridus pricei (Platyhelminthes: Ancyrocephalidae), Parasitic on the Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) in Japan

Abstract

The alien monogenean Ligictaluridus pricei (Mueller, 1936), parasitic on the gills of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818), is described from Lake Kasumigaura, Ibaraki Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, as a new country record. This monogenean is native to North America and is known as an introduced parasite in Eurasia. As it is not strictly host-specific to ictalurids, native freshwater fishes in Japan have a risk of infection by this monogenean species.