{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T16:50:16Z","timestamp":1773334216881,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,24]],"date-time":"2025-10-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761264000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Parasites are quite likely the most diverse guild of species on earth. Nevertheless, they remain under-documented despite their impact on the health and ecology of nearly every other species. Natural history collections offer a powerful, underutilized resource for uncovering the hidden diversity of parasites, particularly by preserving specimens that reveal unexpected host-parasite associations. Ticks, although known for their broad host range among terrestrial vertebrates, have never been documented parasitizing fish. Here, the author reports the first known instance of ticks associated with a fish host: 2 female Amblyomma sp. ticks were discovered on an electric eel, Electrophorus varii \u00a0de Santana et al. 2019. One specimen was removed and identified as Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (Fabricius, 1787). While likely an instance of opportunistic feeding, this collection record nonetheless greatly broadens the known feeding habits and associations between ticks and their hosts. This observation highlights the value of museum collections in revealing rare interactions that challenge established understandings in host-parasite ecology.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/jme\/tjaf148","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]],"date-time":"2025-10-28T03:27:26Z","timestamp":1761622046000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["An eclectic encounter: ticks feeding on an electric eel and the untapped potential of natural history collections"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"63","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4056-4412","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kaylin L","family":"Chong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA,","place":["USA"]},{"name":"Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University , Cambridge, MA,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.1086\/274739","article-title":"Scientific News","volume":"22","author":"American Society of Naturalists","year":"1888","journal-title":"Am. Nat"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2148-13-267","article-title":"Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae), the Cayenne tick: phylogeography and evidence for allopatric speciation","volume":"13","author":"Beati","year":"2013","journal-title":"BMC Evol. Biol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2018.08.013","article-title":"Assessing the underwater survival of two tick species, Amblyomma americanum and Amblyomma maculatum","volume":"10","author":"Bidder","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ticks Tick. Borne Dis"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1590\/S0074-02761989000100011","article-title":"Interrela\u00e7\u00e3o entre acari Ixodidae e hospedeiros Edentata da Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brasil","volume":"84","author":"Botelho","year":"1989","journal-title":"Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1645\/24-9","article-title":"Supplemental description of Caballerotrema annulatum (Diesing, 1850) Ostrowski de N\u00fa\u00f1ez and Sattmann, 2002 (Digenea: Caballerotrematidae) from a new host (Electrophorus cf varii) and locality (Amazon River, Colombia) with phylogenetic analysis and emended generic diagnosis","volume":"110","author":"Cajiao-Mora","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Parasitol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1231","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1260807","article-title":"The shocking predatory strike of the electric eel","volume":"346","author":"Catania","year":"2014","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1590\/S1984-29612008000400009","article-title":"Ticks infesting amphibians and reptiles in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil","volume":"17","author":"Dantas-Torres","year":"2008","journal-title":"Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1007\/s10493-021-00682-8","article-title":"Ticks on reptiles and amphibians in Central Amazonia, with notes on rickettsial infections","volume":"86","author":"Dantas-Torres","year":"2022","journal-title":"Exp. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B9","first-page":"1497","article-title":"Ticks (Acari: Argasidae and Ixodidae) infesting amphibians and reptiles in Northeastern Brazil","volume":"23","author":"de Alcantara","year":"2018","journal-title":"Syst. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"759","DOI":"10.1590\/S0074-02761936000400004","article-title":"Ixodidas brasileiros e de alguns paizes limitrophes","volume":"31","author":"de Arag\u00e3o","year":"1936","journal-title":"Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B11","first-page":"391","article-title":"The taxonomic status of Distomum annulatum Diesing, 1850: redescription of type specimens from the Natural History Museum","volume":"104","author":"de N\u00fa\u00f1ez","year":"2002","journal-title":"Vienna. Annalen Des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie B F\u00fcr Botanik Und Zoologie"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4000","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-019-11690-z","article-title":"Unexpected species diversity in electric eels with a description of the strongest living bioelectricity generator","volume":"10","author":"de Santana","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat. Commun"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11482","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0803232105","article-title":"Homage to Linnaeus: how many parasites? How many hosts?","volume":"105","author":"Dobson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1330","DOI":"10.1111\/evo.13716","article-title":"The dynamics of preferential host switching: host phylogeny as a key predictor of parasite distribution","volume":"73","author":"Engelst\u00e4dter","year":"2019","journal-title":"Evolution"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"283","DOI":"10.1179\/000349804225003316","article-title":"The distribution and ecological \u201cpreferences\u201d of the tick Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae), an ectoparasite of humans and other mammals in the Americas","volume":"98","author":"Estrada-Pe\u00f1a","year":"2004","journal-title":"Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jinsphys.2010.08.009","article-title":"Underwater survival in the dog tick Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae)","volume":"57","author":"Fielden","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Insect Physiol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1007\/s10493-006-9027-0","article-title":"Ticks (Ixodidae) on humans in South America","volume":"40","author":"Guglielmone","year":"2006","journal-title":"Exp. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-007-7497-1","volume-title":"The hard ticks of the world: (acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae).","author":"Guglielmone","year":"2014"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B19","volume-title":"Annual report of the trustees of the museum of comparative zoology, together with the report of the director","author":"Harvard University","year":"1862"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B20","first-page":"5","article-title":"Tick-host specificity","volume":"55","author":"Hoogstraal","year":"1982","journal-title":"Mitteilungen Der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft\/Bulletin de la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Entomologique Suisse"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1007\/s10493-019-00378-0","article-title":"Tick-crocodilian interactions: a review, with the first record of tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestation in the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and a concise host-parasite index","volume":"78","author":"Kwak","year":"2019","journal-title":"Exp. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2020.101383","article-title":"First record of the sea snake tick Amblyomma nitidum Hirst and Hirst, 1910 (Acari: Ixodidae) from Taiwan","volume":"11","author":"Kwak","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ticks Tick. Borne Dis"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4017(01)00649-5","article-title":"Seasonal dynamics of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on horses in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil","volume":"105","author":"Labruna","year":"2002","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1590\/S0074-02762007000200005","article-title":"Theileria Electrophori n.sp., a Parasite of the Electric Eel Electrophorus Electricus (Osteichthyes: Cypriniformes: Gymnotidae) from Amazonian Brazil","volume":"102","author":"Lainson","year":"2007","journal-title":"Mem\u00f3rias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2024.102377","article-title":"Ticks parasitizing cold-blooded animals from three different Brazilian biomes; with note for males of Amblyomma rotundatum","volume":"15","author":"Luz","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ticks Tick. Borne Dis"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-016-1460-2","article-title":"Geographical distribution of Amblyomma cajennense (sensu lato) ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) in Brazil, with description of the nymph of A. cajennense (sensu stricto)","volume":"9","author":"Martins","year":"2016","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B27","volume-title":"Electric fishes: History and behavior","author":"Moller","year":"1995"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1186\/s12862-017-0915-1","article-title":"168 million years old \u201cmarine lice\u201d and the evolution of parasitism within isopods","volume":"17","author":"Nagler","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Evol. Biol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2013.11.004","article-title":"Reassessment of the taxonomic status of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) with the description of three new species, Amblyomma tonelliae n. sp., Amblyomma interandinum n. sp. and Amblyomma patinoi n. sp., and reinstatement of Amblyomma mixtum Koch, 1844, and Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888 (Ixodida: Ixodidae)","volume":"5","author":"Nava","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ticks Tick. Borne Dis"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1501694","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.1501694","article-title":"Empirical observations of the spawning migration of European eels: The long and dangerous road to the Sargasso Sea","volume":"2","author":"Righton","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Adv."},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.5606.1.1","article-title":"Type specimens of the world\u2019s hard tick species (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae): collection data and depositories for all valid names and the current status of invalid names","volume":"5606","author":"Robbins","year":"2025","journal-title":"Zootaxa"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1590\/S0074-02761999000300007","article-title":"Wild birds as hosts of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae)","volume":"94","author":"Rojas","year":"1999","journal-title":"Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1007\/s10493-012-9570-9","article-title":"Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with small terrestrial mammals in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil","volume":"58","author":"Saraiva","year":"2012","journal-title":"Exp. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2694","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-59548-5","article-title":"Hidden parasite diversity in a European freshwater system","volume":"10","author":"Selbach","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"560","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-1271.1","article-title":"Ticks, Amblyomma rotundatum (Acari: Ixodidae), on toads, Chaunus schneideri and Chaunus granulosus (Anura: Bufonidae), in northern Argentina","volume":"94","author":"Smith","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Parasitol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2070","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201505742","article-title":"Electrochemical capacitors with high output voltages that mimic electric eels","volume":"28","author":"Sun","year":"2016","journal-title":"Adv. Mater"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1056","DOI":"10.1111\/brv.12384","article-title":"Tick attachment cement\u2014reviewing the mysteries of a biological skin plug system","volume":"93","author":"Suppan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Biol. Rev. Camb. Philos. Soc"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2970","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2010.2402","article-title":"Impact of the experimental removal of lizards on Lyme disease risk","volume":"278","author":"Swei","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc. Biol. Sci"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"910","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms8060910","article-title":"Interrupted blood feeding in ticks: causes and consequences","volume":"8","author":"Tahir","year":"2020","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B40","author":"Theiler","year":"1962"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1007\/s10493-018-0277-4","article-title":"Amblyomma ticks infesting amphibians and Squamata reptiles from the lower Amazon region, Brazil","volume":"75","author":"Torres","year":"2018","journal-title":"Exp. Appl. Acarol"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1463-6395.2007.00255.x","article-title":"Neotropical Monogenoidea. 51. Scutalatus magniancoratus gen. et sp. n. (Gyrodactylidae) from the South-American electric eel, Electrophorus electricus (Gymnotidae, Gymnotiformes), and redescription of Mormyrogyrodactylus gemini from the African bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Mormyridae, Osteoglossiformes)","volume":"88","author":"Vianna","year":"2007","journal-title":"Acta Zool"},{"key":"2026031200575373300_tjaf148-B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e9","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022149X22000864","article-title":"Morphological description and molecular characterization of Ancyracanthus electrophori n. sp. (Gnathostomatoidea: Gnathostomatidae): a new nematode parasitic in the electric eel Electrophorus varii (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae), from the Brazilian Amazon","volume":"97","author":"Virgilio","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Helminthol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Medical Entomology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jme\/article-pdf\/63\/1\/tjaf148\/64985201\/tjaf148.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jme\/article-pdf\/63\/1\/tjaf148\/64985201\/tjaf148.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T04:58:01Z","timestamp":1773291481000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jme\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/jme\/tjaf148\/8304489"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Danielle","family":"Tufts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,24]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jme\/tjaf148","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-2585","1938-2928"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-2585","type":"print"},{"value":"1938-2928","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,24]]},"article-number":"tjaf148"}}