Determining Intermediate Hosts for Opecoelidae and Microphallidae Species (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) in the Southeastern Pacific Coast, Using Molecular Markers

J Parasitol. 2017 Feb;103(1):132-137. doi: 10.1645/16-3. Epub 2016 Nov 3.

Abstract

Metacercarial stages of digeneans were collected from decapod crustaceans inhabiting intertidal rocky zones in central Chile. The digeneans were identified through a molecular analysis based on the V4 region of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. We analyzed 356 crustaceans belonging to 10 species, 115 intertidal fish belonging to 6 species, and 4 specimens of 1 coastal bird species. In total, 74.1% of crustaceans were parasitized with metacercariae. We found 1 species of Opecoelidae. This species showed low genetic divergence (0% and 0.1%) with adult digeneans found in intertidal fish and with the species Helicometrina labrisomi infesting a subtidal fish from northern Chile (Labrisomus philippii). Additionally, we found 2 species of Microphallidae, 1 closely related to Maritrema (1.3% genetic distance) and the other related to Microphallus (5% genetic distance). Therefore, our findings showed that the decapod crustaceans are relevant hosts in food webs from the southeastern Pacific coast. Furthermore, we found 5 species of crustaceans as second intermediate hosts for H. labrisomi and 2 species as secondary intermediate hosts for 2 Microphallidae, which contribute to elucidate parts of their life cycles through molecular markers and extended the host distribution of H. labrisomi in the southeastern Pacific coast.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Bird Diseases / epidemiology
  • Bird Diseases / parasitology*
  • Bird Diseases / transmission
  • Birds
  • Chile / epidemiology
  • Decapoda / parasitology*
  • Fish Diseases / epidemiology
  • Fish Diseases / parasitology*
  • Fish Diseases / transmission
  • Fishes
  • Genetic Markers
  • Life Cycle Stages*
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Metacercariae / physiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Trematoda / classification
  • Trematoda / genetics
  • Trematoda / physiology*
  • Trematode Infections / epidemiology
  • Trematode Infections / transmission
  • Trematode Infections / veterinary*

Substances

  • Genetic Markers
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S