A new fish haemogregarine from South Africa and its suspected dual transmission with trypanosomes by a marine leech

Abstract

Abstract. Twenty two percent (22/98) of intertidal fishes of 10 species captured in South Africa at Koppie Alleen, De Hoop Nature Reserve (south coast) and Mouille Point, Cape Town (west coast), harboured single or combined infections of haemogregarines, trypanosomes and an intraerythrocytic parasite resembling a Haemohormidium sp. The haemogregarines included the known species Haemogregarina (sensu lato) bigemina (Laveran et Mesnil, 1901) Siddall, 1995 and Haemogregarina (sensu lato) koppiensis Smit et , while Haemogregarina (sensu lato) curvata sp. n. was observed in Clinus cottoides Valenciennes and Parablennius cornutus (L.) at Koppie Alleen. This last haemogregarine is characterised particularly by its distinctly curved gamonts. Also at Koppie Alleen, squash and histological preparations of 9/10 leeches, Zeylanicobdella arugamensis De Silva, 1963, taken from infected C. cottoides and P. cornutus contained developmental stages of H. curvata and/or trypanosomes, but these were absent from haematophagous gnathiid isopods (Gnathia africana Barnard, 1914) taken from infected fishes. It is suspected that Z. arugamensis transmits the haemogregarine and trypanosomes simultaneously between fishes, a double event unreported previously from the marine environment.

Marine fish parasitology in South Africa: history of discovery and future direction

“…capigobii Fantham, 1919, and a few years later named a third, T. blenniclinii Fantham, 1930, also from intertidal fish (Fantham 1930). More than 70 years later, in a study on the blood parasites of intertidal fishes on the west and south coast of South Africa, Hayes et al (2006) detected trypanosomes in the fish blood films that resembled all three species previously described by Fantham (1919Fantham ( , 1930. Due to their similarity to Fantham's species, Hayes et al (2006) suggested that these three species may all be polymorphic forms of T. nudigobii, the first species that had been described by Fantham in 1919.…”

Blood parasite biodiversity of reef-associated fishes of the eastern Caribbean

“…All fish were measured prior to sampling (standard, fork, and total length). Fish were also visually inspected for any ectoparasites that have previously been shown to act as potential vectors of blood parasites; these include specifically leeches (Hayes et al 2006, Hayes et al 2014) and gnathiid isopods , Curtis et al 2013.…”

“…This suggestion was later supported by observations made by Davies et al (1994), Smit & Davies (1999), Davies & Johnston (2000) and . Generally, however, gnathiid isopod larvae have been implicated along with leeches in the transmission of haemogregarines in both cold and temperate regions , Hayes et al 2006, whilst for more tropical warmer regions, such as the GBR, only gnathiids have been associated with haemogregarine transmission , Curtis et al 2013. Such a finding may be attributable to the apparent low abundance of leeches in tropical waters .…”

Potential environmental and host gender influences on prevalence of Haemogregarina platessae (Adeleorina: Haemogregarinidae) and suspected Haemohormidium terraenovae (incertae sedis) in Brazilian flounder from the Patos Lagoon Estuary, Southern Brazil

“…This contrasts with Siddall et al (1995), who reported that American plaice held in captivity over winter in Canada showed increased intensity of infection with H. terraenovae between December and March. Dual transmission by marine leeches of Haemohormidium and trypanosomes, and of haemogregarines and trypanosomes, has been reported (Khan 1984, Hayes et al 2006, and leeches and haemogregarines of freshwater turtles may tolerate urban contamination (Brites and Rantin 2004). Perhaps simultaneous transmission of H. platessae and the H. terraenovae-like organism occurs in both polluted and non-polluted regions of the Patos Lagoon Estuary, although if the two infections have a common leech vector, differences in prevalence and perhaps seasonality of the two infections are difficult to explain.…”