The continent-island model like of the Nicaraguan lake system.
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The parasites in the Midas cichlidThe Nicaraguan lakes, with large tectonic and smaller crater lakes, comprise a continent-island-like model, an ideal setting to study the colonization patterns in both host and parasite. These waterbodies are the evolutionary setting for the species complex of the Midas cichlid fish (Amphilophus spp.). The Midas cichlid recently colonized the crater lakes and experienced adaptive radiations through sympatric speciation. In our research, we are characterizing the macroparasite diversity harbored by the Midas cichlid, and evaluating the patterns of parasite diversity across host populations. As a result, we already have characterized some new cool parasite species in this lake system (Santacruz et al., 2020; Santacruz et al., 2021). Besides, we found a 'core parasite fauna' in the Midas cichlid common to other coexisting crater lake cichlids (Santacruz et al., 2022)
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Astyanax mexicanus from Pachon cave.
Art by: Frida Guzmán. |
Host-parasite interactions after niche changeAstyanax mexicanus repeatedly colonized cave environments, displaying evolutionary parallelisms with troglobic phenotypes. Despite being a model system for studying adaptation to life in the dark, harboring a high diversity of parasites in the surface populations, the parasites infecting cavefish are almost unknown. In this project we are characterizing the macroparasite diversity of cavefish populations belonging to independent lineages and compare it with the parasite diversity of nearby surface fish populations, aiming at understanding differences associated with niche change. From the parasite perspective, we are exploring their evolutionary history associated with the colonization of new and extreme environments (e.g. Santacruz et al., 2020).
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The parasitic nematode Rhabdochona mexicana
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The radiation of rhabdochonids in AmericaRhabdochona is one of the largest genus of nematodes infecting freshwater fishes. In America the genus seems highly diverse, with 31 species described and some species complexes (Santacruz et al., 2019). In this study, we are constructing a molecular phylogeny and tracing the evolution of host associations, morphological traits and the dispersion patterns across the continent.
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Procamallanus barlowi found in a Midas cichlid from Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua.
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Camallanidae phylogenyThe Camallanidae is a highly diverse family of parasitic nematodes globally distributed that parasitize marine and freshwater fishes, amphibians and reptiles. Historically, camallanids have been morphologically classified considering differences of their conspicuous buccal capsule, although such differences have been shown to be unreliable. A comprehensive phylogenetic classification of this group of nematodes is currently lacking due to sampling limitations. We are currently working in a new classification within the subfamily Procamallaninea, while describing some new camallanids (e.g. Santacruz et al., 2021).
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addressStowers Institute for Medical Research
Kansas City, MO, USA |