Helminth parasites of the dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima (Cetacea: Kogiidae) from the Mediterranean Sea, with implications on host ecology

Santoro, Mario; Nocera, Fabio Di; Iaccarino, Doriana; Cipriani, Paolo; Procesi, Isabel Guadano; Maffucci, Fulvio; Hochscheid, Sandra; Blanco, Carolina Moreira; Cerrone, Anna; Nascetti, Giuseppe; Mattiucci, Simonetta

doi:10.3354/dao03251

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Helminth parasites have been extensively used as biological tags of marine vertebrates in host population structure studies. Recently, we used anisakid nematodes of the dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima Owen, 1866 and trypanorhynch cestodes of the sunfish Mola mola Linnaeus, 1758 to suggest the possible existence of a resident population or migration routes of their hosts, respectively (Santoro et al ., 2018, 2020). The fin whale is the most abundant mysticete in the Mediterranean Sea (Panigada and Notarbartolo di Sciara, 2012) with the occurrence of both resident and migrating populations confirmed by genetic studies (Bérubé et al ., 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus

et al. 2021

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus

et al. 2021

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“…Since most marine parasites exhibit at least some degree of host-specificity or host-preference, it is plausible that a degree of host-specificity may exist for parasites infecting fishes of the genus Mola. Moreover, among the several methods applied to obtain biological and ecological data of fishes, the use of parasites as biological tags in marine environment has become a useful tool in producing data for the host stock identification and for studying their migration by using molecular tools to unequivocally identify both hosts and their parasites (9)(10)(11)(12). In fact, parasites can be used as biological tags since their geographic ranges are definite, so that a host can only become infected when entering the parasite endemic range (9,10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Parasite Records for the Sunfish Mola mola in the Mediterranean Sea and Their Potential Use as Biological Tags for Long-Distance Host Migration

et al. 2020

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Studies describing the parasite fauna of sunfish species from the Mediterranean Sea are to date limited, despite information gained through parasitological examination may reveal unknown ecological and biological aspects of both hosts and parasites. Moreover, recent molecular studies on sunfish taxonomy revealed the presence of two species belonging to the genus Mola in the Mediterranean basin, namely M. mola and M. alexandrini. These two fish taxa have long been synonymized or confused among them, which implies that the majority of the studies carried out so far reported the parasites infecting both species under a single host species, generally referred to as M. mola. We hereby investigated the parasite fauna of a 43 cm long M. mola specimen from the Mediterranean Sea, whose identification was confirmed by molecular tool, and provided the first evidence of the occurrence of the nematode Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and of the cestode Gymnorhynchus isuri in Mola species anywhere. The use of helminth species as biological tags for the sunfish is also discussed.

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“…Histioteuthid squids are numerically among the prey items most important for the sperm whale from different geographical areas 56 , 57 . This is also supported by the large amounts of beaks of umbrella squid and adult specimens of A. physeteris detected as co-occurring in the stomach of the sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 and the pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps (de Blainville, 1838), definitive hosts of the parasite species in the Mediterranean basin, recently stranded along the Mediterranean coasts 53 , 55 , 58 , 59 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In the present study, Anisakis Type II larvae detected in the umbrella squid were identified, by genetic/molecular markers, as A. physeteris , whose main definitive hosts are cetaceans of the family Physeteridae Gray, 1821 53 , 55 . This finding suggests the umbrella squid as a transport host in transmitting A. physeteris to Physeteridae in the Mediterranean Sea.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Insights into the role of deep-sea squids of the genus Histioteuthis (Histioteuthidae) in the life cycle of ascaridoid parasites in the Central Mediterranean Sea waters

Palomba

Mattiucci

Crocetta

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Ascaridoid nematodes comprise a wide range of heteroxenous parasites infecting top fish predators and marine mammals as definitive hosts, with crustaceans, squids, and fishes acting as intermediate/paratenic hosts. Limited data exist on the species and role of several intermediate and paratenic hosts in the life cycle of these parasites. In the aim of adding knowledge on the role of squid species in their life cycle, we have here investigated the larval ascaridoid nematodes collected from the deep-sea umbrella squid Histioteuthis bonnelli and the reverse jewel squid Histioteuthis reversa captured in the Central Mediterranean Sea (Tyrrhenian Sea). Morphological study and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (mtDNA cox2) gene locus revealed the occurrence of Anisakis physeteris and of an unidentified species of the genus Lappetascaris. Sequence analysis revealed that specimens of Lappetascaris from both squid species matched at 100% sequences previously deposited in GenBank from larval ascaridoids collected in octopuses of the genus Eledone of the Mediterranean Sea. The Bayesian inference tree topology obtained from the analysis of the fragments amplified showed that Lappetascaris specimens were included in a major clade comprising Hysterothylacium species collected in fishes of the families Xiphiidae and Istiophoridae. As regards the site of infection in the squid host species, A. physeteris larvae predominated (60.7%) in the gonads, while those of Lappetascaris (76.3%) were found infecting the mantle musculature. The overall high values of parasitic load suggest both squid species as transmitting hosts of third stage larvae of Lappetascaris to top predator fishes, as well as the umbrella squid as an intermediate/paratenic host in the life cycle of A. physeteris in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Helminth parasites of the dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima (Cetacea: Kogiidae) from the Mediterranean Sea, with implications on host ecology

Cited by 19 publications

References 38 publications

Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus

Molecular and morphological characterization of Bolbosoma balaenae (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a neglected intestinal parasite of the fin whale Balaenoptera physalus

New Parasite Records for the Sunfish Mola mola in the Mediterranean Sea and Their Potential Use as Biological Tags for Long-Distance Host Migration

Insights into the role of deep-sea squids of the genus Histioteuthis (Histioteuthidae) in the life cycle of ascaridoid parasites in the Central Mediterranean Sea waters

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