Revealing trophic transmission pathways of marine tapeworms

Parasites and prey of the nursehound sharkScyliorhinus stellaris(Linnaeus, 1758): Insights into hidden trophic web interactions in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Unfortunately, data about the biological cycles of the present parasite taxa are scarce and only the molecular characterization of their larval forms found in their intermediate/paratenic host species can allow to draw their trophic transmission pathways (Bennet et al, 2019;Jensen & Bullard, 2010;Randhawa & Brickle, 2011). Acanthobothrium coronatum, which dominated the present parasite community, is a specialist parasite of nursehound shark .…”

“…Except for the monogenean H. appendiculatum , a generalist gill parasite with direct life cycle found in Rajidae and Scyliorhinidae, all other taxa were trophically transmitted cestodes with a complex life cycle (see Host‐Parasite List of Elasmobranchs at https://shark‐references.com). Unfortunately, data about the biological cycles of the present parasite taxa are scarce and only the molecular characterization of their larval forms found in their intermediate/paratenic host species can allow to draw their trophic transmission pathways (Bennet et al ., 2019; Jensen & Bullard, 2010; Randhawa & Brickle, 2011). Acanthobothrium coronatum , which dominated the present parasite community, is a specialist parasite of nursehound shark (Santoro, Crocetta, & Palomba, 2021).…”

Annotated checklist and genetic data for parasitic helminths infecting New Zealand marine invertebrates

“…DNA sequencing, however, is improving this situation. For example, Bennett et al (2019) matched larval and adult forms of the cestode species Acanthobothrium sp. 1 infecting the red swimming crab Nectocarcinus antarcticus and the rough skate Zearaja nasuta using 28S sequence data.…”

“…For nematodes, the partial 18S rRNA gene was amplified using primers Nem18SF and Nem18SR and conditions from Wood et al (2013). For trematodes, cestodes, and acanthocephalans, a partial 28S rRNA gene was targeted using primers T16 and T30 (Harper & Saunders, 2001) under conditions from Bennett et al (2019). Additionally, cox1 was targeted for some trematode and nematode taxa, using either primers JB3 (Bowles et al, 1993) and Trem.cox1.rrnl (Králová‐Hromadová et al, 2008) or universal Folmer et al (1994) primers LCO1490 and HCO2198, under PCR conditions described in Bennett and Presswell (2019).…”

“…First, parasites of invertebrates can significantly impact commercial fisheries and aquaculture (Shinn et al, 2015), and damage may include host castration and lowered growth and survival rates (e.g., Bower et al, 1994). Second, the matching of the identity of a larval parasite in an invertebrate intermediate host with its adult counterpart from a definitive host provides evidence for predator–prey interactions between the two hosts (e.g., Bennett et al, 2019). The marine realm is a notoriously difficult environment in which to study predator–prey interactions between animals, and helminth life cycle data can thus help, indirectly, to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of marine food webs.…”