Integrative Taxonomy of Marine Helminths from Carangoides spp.: Evidence from Morphology, ITS2, 28S rDNA and COI Gene Sequences

Author(s)	Dr. Ratnesh Kumar Singh, Mr. Shashwat Singh, Mr. Chandra Narain Saxena, Dr. Suchit Swaroop
Country	India
Abstract	Marine carangid fishes of the genus Carangoides harbour diverse helminth assemblages including digeneans, monogeneans, and nematodes. Traditional morphology-based taxonomy has historically guided species descriptions, yet phenotypic plasticity and cryptic speciation frequently obscure species boundaries. Integrative taxonomy combining morphological evidence with molecular markers such as ITS2, 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial COI has significantly advanced marine helminth systematics. This study synthesizes evidence from various open-access studies demonstrating the complementary roles of ribosomal and mitochondrial markers in species delimitation, phylogenetic placement, and life-stage linkage. The literature consistently supports a multilocus framework, particularly for parasites infecting carangid hosts in Indo-Pacific systems. Integrative approaches reveal hidden diversity, clarify host specificity patterns, and provide robust phylogenetic context. For helminths infecting Carangoides spp., morphology combined with ITS2, 28S rDNA, and COI represents the current gold standard for accurate taxonomic resolution. Keywords: Integrative taxonomy; Marine helminths; Carangoides; ITS2; 28S rDNA; COI; Monogenea; Digenea; DNA barcoding; Host–parasite relationships
Field	Biology > Zoology
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-11

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