Blood flukes of Asiatic softshell turtles: revision of Coeuritrema Mehra, 1933 (Digenea: Schistosomatoidea) and a new species infecting Chinese softshell turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis (Trionychidae), from Vietnam.
Coeuritrema Mehra, 1933, previously regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Hapalorhynchus Stunkard, 1922, herein is revised to include Coeuritrema lyssimus Mehra, 1933 (type species), Coeuritrema rugatus (Brooks et Sullivan, 1981) comb. n., and Coeuritrema platti Roberts et Bullard sp. n. These genera are morphologically similar by having a ventral sucker, non-fused caeca, two testes, a pre-testicular cirrus sac, an intertesticular ovary, and a common genital pore that opens dorsally and in the sinistral half of the body. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1-D3 domains of the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (28S) suggested that Coeuritrema and Hapalorhynchus share a recent common ancestor. Coeuritrema is morphologically most easily differentiated from Hapalorhynchus by having ventrolateral tegumental papillae and a definitive metraterm that is approximately 3-7× longer than the uterus. Coeuritrema comprises species that reportedly infect Asiatic softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) only, whereas Hapalorhynchus (as currently defined) comprises blood flukes that reportedly infect those hosts plus North American musk turtles (Sternotherus Bell in Gray) and mud turtles (Kinosternon Spix), both Kinosternidae, North American snapping turtles (Chelydridae), Asiatic hard-shelled turtles (Geoemydidae) and African pleurodirans (Pelomedusidae). Coeuritrema platti sp. n. infects the blood of Chinese softshell turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann), cultured in the Da Rang River Basin (Phu Yen Province, Vietnam). It differs from C. lyssimus by having a narrow hindbody (< 1.6× forebody width), ventrolateral tegumental papillae restricted to the hindbody, a short cirrus sac (< 10% of corresponding body length), a transverse ovary buttressing the caeca, a short, wholly pre-ovarian metraterm (~ 10% of corresponding body length), and a submarginal genital pore. It differs from C. rugatus by having small ventrolateral tegumental papillae, testes without deep lobes, and a Laurer's canal pore that opens posterior to the vitelline reservoir and dorsal to the oviducal seminal receptacle. The new species is only the second turtle blood fluke reported from Vietnam.
Auburn University, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences and Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Auburn, AL, USA.
Jackson R
JR
Roberts
Auburn University, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences and Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Auburn, AL, USA.
Raphael
R
Orelis-Ribeiro
Nha Trang University, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Biotechnology and Environment, Nha Trang, Vietnam.
Binh T
BT
Dang
Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental & Climate Change Studies, Auburn, AL, USA.
Kenneth M
KM
Halanych
Auburn University, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences and Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Auburn, AL, USA.
Stephen A
SA
Bullard
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D010802:Phylogeny; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*; D014744:Vietnam
D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S