Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2021-07-23
Page range: 62-76
Abstract views: 408
PDF downloaded: 27

Two new species of Scalithrium (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) from rajiform batoids of the Argentine Sea

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina. CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina. CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cestode parasites Scalithrium kirchneri sp. nov. Scalithrium ivanovae sp. nov. Rajiformes Rioraja agassizii Atlantoraja platana Platyhelminthes

Abstract

Two new species of Scalithrium Ball, Neifar & Euzet, 2003 were found in rajiform batoids of the Argentine Sea: Scalithrium kirchneri sp. nov., parasite of the Rio skate Rioraja agassizii (Müller & Henle) from waters off Buenos Aires Province, and Scalithrium ivanovae sp. nov., parasite of the La Plata skate Atlantoraja platana (Günther) from waters off Río Negro Province. Scalithrium kirchneri sp. nov. and S. ivanovae sp. nov. differ from their congeners by having a particular combination of features including: total length, number of loculi on the distal bothridial surface, absence of bilobed bothridia and number of testes. Additionally, S. kirchneri sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. ivanovae sp. nov. by the presence of a vaginal sphincter and seminal receptacle, by the position of the entrance of the vas deferens into the cirrus sac, and by the microthrix pattern on the proximal bothridial surface. Based on this and previous studies, we conclude that some morphological traits may not be considered as key characters for the generic diagnosis of Scalithrium due to their variability within the genus. These characters include the musculature disposition in bothridial transverse septa and position of the entrance of the vas deferens into the cirrus sac, which certainly complement other diagnostic characters at a specific level. The discovery of these two species represents the first record of the genus Scalithrium in temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, this study is the first to undoubtedly identify batoids from the order Rajiformes as hosts for Scalithrium.

References

  1. Baer, J.G. (1948) Contributions a l’étude des cestodes des sélaciens. I–IV. Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise des Sciences Naturelles, 71, 63–122.

  2. Ball, D., Neifar, L. & Euzet, L. (2003) Proposition de Scalithrium n. gen. (Cestoda, Tetraphyllidea) avec comme espèce-type Scalithrium minimum (Van Beneden, 1850) n. comb. parasite de Dasyatis pastinaca (Elasmobranchii, Dasyatidae). Parasite, 10, 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2003101p31

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2003101p31
  3. Beer, A., Ingram, T. & Randhawa, H.S. (2019) Role of ecology and phylogeny in determining tapeworm assemblages in skates (Rajiformes). Journal of Helminthology, 93, 738–751.  https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X18000809

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X18000809
  4. Beneden, P.J.van. (1850) Recherches sur la faune littorale de Belgique. Les vers cestoides, considérés sous le rapport physiologique, embryogénique et zooclassique. Mémoires de l‘Academie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 25, 1–199. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.47103

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.47103
  5. Berman, R. & Brooks, D.R. (1994) Escherbothrium molinae n. gen. et n. sp. (Eucestoda: Tetraphyllidea: Triloculariidae) in Urotrygon chilensis (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Urolophidae) from the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Journal of Parasitology, 80, 775–780. https://doi.org/10.2307/3283257

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3283257
  6. Boudaya, L., Neifar, L. & Euzet, L. (2020) A new genus and three new species of Anthocephaliidae (Cestoda, Rhinebothriidea) from the round fantail stingray, Taeniurops grabata (Chondrichthyes, Dasyatidae) from the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Helminthology, 94, E11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X18001025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X18001025
  7. Brooks, D.R. (1977) Six new species of tetraphyllidean cestodes, including a new genus, from a marine stingray Himantura schmardae (Werner, 1904) from Colombia. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington, 44, 51–59.

  8. Caira, J.N. & Jensen, K. (2009) Erection of a new onchobothriid genus (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) and the description of five new species from whaler sharks (Carcharhinidae). Journal of Parasitology, 95, 924–940. https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1963.1

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1963.1
  9. Caira, J.N., Healy, C.J., Marques, F.P.L. & Jensen, K. (2017) Three new genera of rhinebothriidean cestodes from stingrays in Southeast Asia. Folia Parasitologica, 64, 008. https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2017.008

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2017.008
  10. Caira, J.N., Jensen, K., Waeschenbach, A., Olson, P.D. & Littlewood, D.T.J. (2014) Orders out of chaos—molecular phylogenetics reveals the complexity of shark and stingray tapeworm relationships. International Journal for Parasitology, 44, 55–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.10.004

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.10.004
  11. Chervy, L. (2009) Unified terminology for cestode microtriches: a proposal from the International Workshops on Cestode Systematics in 2002-2008. Folia Parasitologica, 56, 199–230.  https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2009.025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2009.025
  12. Clopton, R.E. (2004) Standard nomenclature and metrics of plane shapes for use in gregarine taxonomy. Comparative Parasitology, 71, 130–140. https://doi.org/10.1654/4151

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1654/4151
  13. Coleman, G.M., Beveridge, I. & Campbell, R.A. (2019a) New genera, species and records of rhinebothriidean cestodes (Platyhelminthes) parasitic in Australian stingrays (Elasmobranchii: Batoidea). Systematic Parasitology, 96, 347–368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-019-09852-0

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-019-09852-0
  14. Coleman, G.M., Beveridge, I. & Campbell, R.A. (2019b) New species of Rhinebothrium Linton, 1890 (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) parasitic in Australian stingrays (Elasmobranchii: Batoidea). Systematic Parasitology, 96, 23–49.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-018-9835-8

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-018-9835-8
  15. Euzet, L. (1953) Cestodes tétraphyllides nouveaux ou peu connus de Dasyatis pastinaca (L.). Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée, 28, 339–351. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/1953285339

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/1953285339
  16. Eyring, K., Healy, C.J. & Reyda, F.B. (2012) A new genus and species of cestode (Rhinebothriidea) from Mobula kuhlii (Rajiformes: Mobulidae) from Malaysian Borneo. Journal of Parasitology, 98, 584–591.  https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-2913.1

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-2913.1
  17. Franzese, S. & Ivanov, V.A. (2020) A new genus of Rhinebothriidea from species of Psammobatis (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae) off Argentina. Zootaxa, 4803, 355–372. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4803.2.7

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4803.2.7
  18. Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (2021) FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Available from: http://www.fishbase.org (accessed 30 January 2021)

  19. Hart, J.F. (1936) Cestoda from fishes of Puget Sound. III. Phyllobothrioidea. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 55, 488–496. https://doi.org/10.2307/3222534

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3222534
  20. Healy, C.J. (2006) A revision of selected Tetraphyllidea (Cestoda): Caulobothrium, Rhabdotobothrium, Rhinebothrium, Scalithrium, and Spongiobothrium. Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 382 pp.

  21. Healy, C.J., Caira, J.N., Jensen, K., Webster, B.L. & Littlewood, D.T.J. (2009) Proposal for a new tapeworm order, Rhinebothriidea. International Journal for Parasitology, 39, 497–511.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.09.002

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.09.002
  22. Ivanov, V.A. (2004) A new species of Rhinebothroides Mayes, Brooks & Thorson, 1981 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from the ocellate river stingray in Argentina, with amended descriptions of two other species of the genus. Systematic Parasitology, 58, 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SYPA.0000032933.71645.1e

  23. Ivanov, V.A. & Campbell, R.A. (2002) Notomegarhynchus navonae n. gen. and n. sp. (Eucestoda: Tetraphyllidea), from skates (Rajidae: Arhychobatinae) in the Southern Hemisphere. Journal of Parasitology, 88, 340–349.  https://doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0340:NNNGAN]2.0.CO;2

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0340:NNNGAN]2.0.CO;2
  24. Linton, E. (1889) Notes on Entozoa of marine fishes of New England, with descriptions of several new species. United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. Part XIV. Report of the Commissioner for 1886, 14, 453–511.

  25. Linton, E. (1890) Notes on Entozoa of marine fishes of New England, with descriptions of several new species. Part II. United States Commision of Fish and Fisheries. Part XV. Report of the Commissioner for 1887, 15, 718–899. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.995

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.995
  26. Marques, F.P.L. & Caira, J.N. (2016) Pararhinebothroides—neither the sister taxon of Rhinebothroides nor a valid genus. Journal of Parasitology, 102, 249–259. https://doi.org/10.1645/15-894

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/15-894
  27. Marques, F.P.L., Brooks, D.R. & Ureña, H.M. (1996) Two new species of tetraphyllidean cestodes in Himantura pacifica (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes: Dasyatididae) from the northwest coast of Costa Rica. The Journal of parasitology, 82, 302–306. https://doi.org/10.2307/3284165

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3284165
  28. Mayes, M.A., Brooks, D.R. & Thorson, T.B. (1981) Two new tetraphyllidean cestodes from Potamotrygon circularis Garman (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) in the Itacuaí River, Brazil. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington, 48, 38–42.

  29. Reyda, F.B. & Marques, F.P.L. (2011) Diversification and species boundaries of Rhinebothrium (Cestoda; Rhinebothriidea) in South American freshwater stingrays (Batoidea; Potamotrygonidae). PLOSone, 6, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0022604

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0022604
  30. Reyda, F.B., Healy, C.J., Haslach, A.R., Ruhnke, T.R., Aprill, T.L., Bergman, M.P., Daigler, A.L., Dedrick, E.A., Delgado, I., Forti, K.S., Herzog, K.S., Russell, R.S. & Willsey, D.D. (2016) A new genus of rhinebothriidean cestodes from batoid elasmobranchs, with the description of five new species and two new combinations. Folia Parasitologica, 63, 38. https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2016.038

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2016.038
  31. Ruhnke, T.R. (1994) Resurrection of Anthocephalum Linton, 1890 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) and taxonomic information on five proposed members. Systematic Parasitology, 29, 159–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009673

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009673
  32. Ruhnke, T.R., Caira, J.N. & Cox, A. (2015) The cestode order Rhinebothriidea no longer family-less: a molecular phylogenetic investigation with erection of two new families and description of eight new species of Anthocephalum. Zootaxa, 3904, 51–81. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.3

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.3
  33. Ruhnke, T.R., Reyda, F.B. & Marques, F.P.L. (2017) Rhinebothriidea Healy, Caira, Jensen, Webster & Littlewood, 2009. In: Caira, J.N. & Jensen, K. (Eds.), Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (2008–2017): Tapeworms from Vertebrate Bowels of the Earth. University of Kansas, Natural History Museum, Special Publication No. 25. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, pp. 327–348.

  34. Shinde, G.B., Deshmukh, R.A. & Jadhav, B.V. (1981) On a new cestode Echeneibothrium smitii sp. n. from marine fish. Rivista di Parassitologia, 42, 267–270.

  35. Shipley, A.E. & Hornell, J. (1906) Report on the cestode and nematode parasites from the marine fishes of Ceylon. In: Herdman, W.A. (Ed.), Report to the Government of Ceylon on the Pearl Oyster Fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar. Part 5. The Royal Society, London, pp. 43–96.

  36. Subhapradha, C.K. (1955) Cestode parasites of fishes of Madras Coast. Indian Journal of Helminthology, 7, 41–132.

  37. Tanzola, R.D., Guagliardo, S.E., Brizzola, S.M., Arias, M.V. & Botte, S.E. (1998) Parasite assemblage of Sympterygia bonapartei (Pisces: Rajidae), an endemic skate of the southwest Atlantic. Helminthologia, 35, 123–129.

  38. Williams, H.H. (1961) Observations on Echeneibothrium maculatum (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 41, 631–652. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400016209

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400016209
  39. Young, R.T. (1955) Two new species of Echeneibothrium from the stingray Urobatis halleri. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 74, 232–234. https://doi.org/10.2307/3224096

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3224096