Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Relationships of Pallisentis (Brevitritospinus) Indica (Acanthocephala: Quadrigyridae), A Parasite of the Spotted Snakehead (Channa punctatus)

Pallisentis (Brevitritospinus) indica Mittal and Lal, 1976 was found infecting the spotted snakehead Channa punctatus Bloch and Schneider (Channidae) from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India. The species was identified on the basis of proboscis hooks, trunk spines, and other structures that separate it from all described species. Molecular analysis based on 18S rDNA placed the P. indica isolates within a clade of Pallisentis spp. but distinct from other representatives of the same genus. This study documents the first molecular characterization of P. indica from India.