In a collaborative effort involving parasite and elasmobranch taxonomists from eight different institutions in the US, Australia and Malaysia, this project will focus on the elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and their metazoan parasites of the inshore and freshwater habitats of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Preliminary surveys suggest that this region is home to well over 100 species of sharks and rays, many of which are poorly known, and at least some of which are likely to be new to science. At present, essentially no records of metazoan parasites exist for sharks and rays of this geographic region. It is anticipated that the project will yield an extensive diversity of metazoan parasites belonging to at least four animal phyla, including all four major groups of platyhelminths, as well as annelids, nematodes and perhaps as many as five major groups of arthropods.
Metazoan parasite diversity in sharks and rays generated from data collected in a previous survey conducted elsewhere will be tested. These data lead to the prediction that this region may yield between 500 and 1,000 species of metazoan parasites, well over 50% of which are likely to be new to science. This survey will provide essential baseline taxonomic data to facilitate the development of a resource management plan in East Malaysia. It will also do much to begin to fill in an enormous gap in our knowledge of parasites of sharks and rays.
