Lernaea is a genus of freshwater parasitic copepod, consisting of around 80 species. The anchor worm (L. cyprinacea) is the most well-known species because of its wide distribution beyond its native range and significant effect on freshwater host species. In Australia, nearly all reported Lernaea infections are referred to as L. cyprinacea without molecular evidence. Identification solely based on morphological features is not reliable due to the highly variable morphology of Lernaea species, especially of the most important characteristic, the anchor. In Australia, the species has now been found on many native fish, including in the Murrumbidgee catchment area, which is home to several endangered species. To provide clear identification of Lernaea species, we sampled Lernaea from six fish species from various localities in the Murrumbidgee catchment, south-eastern Australia. The Lernaea specimens were described using combined traditional morphological observation and three gene regions. Although significant morphological variations were found, limited genetic differences in all three gene regions suggested they all belong to one species. Phylogenetic analyses of all tested species and those reported from other parts of the world suggested our specimens are L. cyprinacea. This study provides strong evidence for the occurrence of an introduced invasive species in Australia.

Lernaea是淡水寄生co足类的一个属，约有80种。锚线虫（L. cyprinacea）是最著名的物种，因为它的分布范围超出其自然范围，并且对淡水宿主物种具有显着影响。在澳大利亚，没有分子证据，几乎所有已报道的莱纳氏菌感染都被称为鲤科L.cyprinacea。仅仅基于形态特征的鉴定是不可靠的，因为莱纳氏菌的形态高度可变物种，尤其是最重要的特征是锚。在澳大利亚，现在已经在许多本地鱼类上发现了该物种，包括在Murrumbidgee集水区，那里是几种濒危物种的家。为了清楚地鉴定出Lernaea物种，我们从澳大利亚东南部Murrumbidgee流域各个地方的六种鱼类中取样了Lernaea。该Lernaea结合传统形态学观察和三个基因区域描述了标本。尽管发现了明显的形态学变异，但是在所有三个基因区域中有限的遗传差异表明它们都属于一个物种。对所有受测物种和世界其他地区所报告物种的系统发育分析表明，我们的标本是塞浦路斯乳杆菌。这项研究为澳大利亚引入入侵物种的发生提供了有力的证据。