Parasitic Castration of Chocolate Clam <i>Megapitaria squalida</i> (Sowerby, 1835) Caused by Trematode Larvae

Yee-Duarte, Josué Alonso; Vázquez, Bertha Patricia Ceballos; Shumilin, Evgueni; Kidd, Karen A.; Arellano-Martínez, Marcial

doi:10.2983/035.036.0307

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In other words, a single individual parasitic castrator will prevent or block host reproduction when the parasite matures. Such type of parasitic castration is commonly found in most the fast breeder aquatic animals such as gastropod molluscs or snails [46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54], bivalves [55][56][57] and number of crustaceans and other invertebrate animals [58][59][60]. Interesting, besides the sterilization of snail host, parasitic castration also induces the growth of young snail host called gigantism [58,61], sex reversal [62] and potential to alter the gene expression in brain of the snail host also [63].…”

Section: Parasitic Castrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brief Review of Parasitic Castration in Aquatic Snails and Its Contribution in Control of Diverse Vector Snail Populations and Trematodiases in Man and Animals

SL¹

2022

AustinJInfectDis

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Snails are invertebrate gastropod molluscs inhabited both the terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Most of these animals are dioeciously and their sexes are separated. In many monoecious (hermaphrodite) snail species, individuals have both male and female gonads. But in pulmonate monoecious snail species individuals have only single gonad called “ovotestis” which contains both testicular and ovarian tissues. In general, aquatic snail species are intermediate hosts of digenean trematode parasites of vertebrates including man and animals. In addition, aquatic snails are also act as vector of diverse trematodiases, such as schistosomiasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, amphistomiasis, etc. The prevalence of these digenetic trematode parasitic diseases in diverse geographical provinces is depending on the population of vector or intermediate host snail species. In fact, the various larval stages of digenean trematode parasites, such as sporocysts, rediae and cercariae are developed and multiplied asexually in the organ of hepatopancreas and/or gonads of host snails. These parasitic trematode larvae also act as castrators for snails and potential to prevent or block partially or completely their reproduction called “parasitic castration”. In this biological process, trematode larvae destroy the gonads in two ways, one is mechanically and the other physiologically. Parasitic castration is also induces sex conversion, gigantism and alteration the gene expression in brain of snails. In present communication, the most common vector snail species, different forms of trematode larvae and their basic biology and mode of parasitic castration in aquatic snails and its contribution in control of diverse vector snail populations and spreading of trematodiases are considered and brief and critically reviewed. Simultaneously, research gaps have also been highlighted for further advance research work. This review is helpful in understanding of biology or mechanism of parasitic castration and its contributory role the balancing of aquatic ecosystem.

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Section: Parasitic Castrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brief Review of Parasitic Castration in Aquatic Snails and Its Contribution in Control of Diverse Vector Snail Populations and Trematodiases in Man and Animals

SL¹

2022

AustinJInfectDis

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“…Jobling and Tyler, 2003) and molluscs (e.g. Averbuj and Cremonte, 2010; Choubisa and Sheikh, 2013; Yee-Duarte et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An efficient photograph-based quantitative method for assessing castrating trematode parasites in bivalve molluscs

Brian

Aldridge

2020

Parasitology

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Parasitic castration of bivalves by trematodes is common, and may significantly reduce the reproductive capacity of ecologically important species. Understanding the intensity of infection is desirable, as it can indicate the time that has passed since infection, and influence the host's physiological and reproductive response. In addition, it is useful to know the developmental stage of the trematode, to understand trematode population trends and reproductive success. However, most existing methods (e.g. visually estimating the degree of infection) to assess intensity are approximate only and not reproducible. Here, we present a method to accurately quantify the percentage of bivalve gonad filled with digenean trematode tissue, based on small squashes of gonad tissue rapidly photographed under light microscopy. A maximum of 15 photographs is required to determine the percentage of the whole gonad occupied by trematodes with a minimum of 90% confidence, with smaller mussels requiring fewer. In addition, the stage of trematode infection can be assessed because full sporocysts, spent sporocysts and free cercariae are clearly distinguishable. Although variation exists in the distribution of trematodes in gonad tissue, and thus in the estimate of percentage of the gonad filled with trematodes, this method represents a marked improvement on current coarse assessments of infection which typically focus on binary presence/absence measures. This technique can be used to facilitate a more sophisticated understanding of host–parasite interactions in bivalves, and can inform the conservation and reproductive biology of environmentally crucial species.

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Evidence that a lineage of teleost-infecting blood flukes (Aporocotylidae) infects bivalves as intermediate hosts

Cutmore

Littlewood

Arellano-Martínez

et al. 2023

International Journal for Parasitology

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Parasitic Castration of Chocolate Clam Megapitaria squalida (Sowerby, 1835) Caused by Trematode Larvae

Cited by 10 publications

References 44 publications

A Brief Review of Parasitic Castration in Aquatic Snails and Its Contribution in Control of Diverse Vector Snail Populations and Trematodiases in Man and Animals

A Brief Review of Parasitic Castration in Aquatic Snails and Its Contribution in Control of Diverse Vector Snail Populations and Trematodiases in Man and Animals

An efficient photograph-based quantitative method for assessing castrating trematode parasites in bivalve molluscs

Evidence that a lineage of teleost-infecting blood flukes (Aporocotylidae) infects bivalves as intermediate hosts

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