Approaches to Research on the Systematics of Fish-Borne Trematodes

Book excerpt: Approaches to Research on the Systematics of Fish-Borne Trematodes is a concise guide for systematic studies of the prevalence of fish-borne trematodes both in the endemic areas and experimental laboratories. It includes methods to identify species of fish-borne trematodes to enhance the precision of research studies based on the metacercarial stage. Misidentification of trematode species is a common occurrence when researchers are new to the field and have no guidance. Consequentially, sometimes publications report inaccurate prevalence rates of these parasites. This compact guide gives clear direction on: - Collection of parasites in the final hosts - Collection of cercaria from snail first intermediate hosts - Collection of metacercaria from fish hosts - Molecular identification of parasites - Systematics of fish-borne trematodes - Provides research guidelines and protocols for studying systematics of fish-borne trematodes using both morphological and molecular data - Presents keys to enable identification of metacercariae of fish-borne trematodes in the Greater Mekong subregion