A partial 18S (448 bp)
and complete ITS-1, 5.8S, and ITS-2 (1,139 bp) rDNA sequences are provided.
A preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 18S gene, which included all sequenced genera of the Gyrodactylidae, suggests P. variegatus n. sp. is basal within Gyrodactylus sensu lato. It is proposed that the genus is a relict freshwater lineage parasitizing river loaches in the mountain plateaus of central Asia.