Projects & People

Dr. Florian Reyda

collaborates with students on a variety of projects (see below) in addition to a variety of his own. For example, he is in the final stages of helping complete an online manual on the laboratory techniques for the studies of cestodes (see link). That was a collaborative effort among many of the world’s cestodologists (experts of tapeworms). He is also working with two Brazilian colleagues on the description of several new species of the cestode genus Rhinebothrium from South American freshwater stingrays. Dr. Reyda was delighted to recently have a cestode species named after him, Rhinebothium reydai. That is an honor for a parasitologist!

Maggie Doolin

is an M.S. student at SUNY Oneonta who joined the lab in 2016, having completed her Bachelor’s degree at Hamilton College. Maggie is focusing on the diversity of species in the acanthocephalan (thorny-headed worm) genus Neoechinorhynchus. Neoechinorhynchus is a diverse genus of acanthocephalan characterized by having three rows of hooks on the proboscis (see image). It consists of dozens of species that have been reported from bony fishes from all over the world, as well as multiple species from turtles. Maggie’s focus has been on using morphology and molecules to recognize species of Neoechinorhynchus that parasitize species of suckers (family Catostomidae). She and other students and Dr. Reyda have collected Neoechinorhynchus from catostomids from New York, New Hampshire and Oklahoma, but Maggie’s analysis includes a variety of specimens from other states thanks to various collaborators. Maggie’s Master’s thesis will consist of morphological analysis of several species of Neoechinorhynchus, as well as the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis, utilizing DNA sequence data, for species of the genus that occur in the USA. Maggie did her DNA sequencing work at the Smithsonian during the last two summers. She also attended the American Society in 2017 where she received an award for her presentation on her research.

Sisina Macchiarelli

is a recent graduate of SUNY Oneonta and continues to work as a volunteer in the lab. Her focus is on trematodes. She initially worked on species of Azygia that are found in the stomachs of chain pickerel, Yellow perch, and other Otsego Lake fishes. More recently, Sisina discovered what appears to be a new species of Azygia in the stomach of Rock bass. Her current project is to verify that this species is unique, and to describe it.

Cheyenne Pommelle

has been active in the fish parasitology lab for several semesters. Last year she focused on documenting the occurrence of the Asian fish tapeworm, Schizocotyle acheilognathi (formerly known as Bothriocephalus acheilognathi) in several species of locally occurring minnows. This year she is focused on describing a new species of Neoechinorhynchus in conjunction with Reyda, Doolin, and another student.

Byron Peregrim

recently joined the fish parasitology lab. This year he is focused on describing a new species of Neoechinorhynchus in conjunction with Reyda, Doolin, and another student.

Jessica Schoeck

recently joined the fish parasitology lab. This year she is focused on a the very challenging issue of parasite life cycles. She is currently looking for the larval stage of species of the acanthocephalan genus Neoechinorhynchus in tiny crustaceans known as ostracods. If Jessica is able to find and isolate larval stages of Neoechinorhynchus she will employ DNA sequencing methods to identify it by matching it with the DNA sequences of the Neoechinorhynchus species that occur in the lake.

Sam Vandemark

is back in the fish parasitology lab. He initially worked on a project in which he and several other students characterized the parasites of locally-occurring Yellow perch that were collected via ice-fishing in winter. He is now working on the lab website.

Taylor Brandt

recently begun work in fish parasitology. She is a recent graduate of SUNY Oneonta and works as a volunteer in the lab, having recently completed an internship at the Biological Field Station in which she studied the occurrence of freshwater jellyfish in Otsego Lake. Taylor, along with new students Jaclyn Simeone, Jennifer Braun, and Daniela Aguilar are gaining an introduction to parasitological research by helping others with a variety of field and laboratory techniques before moving on to their own individualized projects in future semesters.