Some species of the phylum Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms) have been shown to have high host specificity. Because of this, having the correct species identification of the host is critical for the analysis of the parasites. Fish hosts that belong to the family Castomidae (suckers) contain several genera with species that can be difficult to distinguish in the field. In this research, we are taking tissue samples from the fish hosts in order to make an identification through genetic sequencing. This will be used to verify the morphological identifications that were made initially in the field. We sequenced 40 samples of 21 species of suckers from nine states. For each sample, we extracted the DNA and performed a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Electrophoresis was performed to validate the success of the PCR. The samples were then sent out for sequencing at Cornell University and used the data received back to match sequences with those in the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) to make a genetic identification. We then used these sequences and identifications to create a phylogenetic tree. Preliminary results will be provided in the presentation.
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