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Spiroxys ankarafantsika Roca et Garcia, 2008 (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) and Other Nematodes Parasitising Pelusios spp. (Testudines: Pelomedusidae) from South Africa and Mozambique

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Abstract

Introduction

The nematode Spiroxys ankarafantsika was described parasitising freshwater turtles Pelusios castanoides and Pelomedusa subrufra from Madagascar. During parasitological surveys at different localities in Mozambique and South Africa the species was recovered from the digestive tract of Pelusios sinuatus, P. subniger and P. castanoides.

Methods

The species were identified based on the morphology of the anterior extremity (absence of additional teeth on pseudolabia) and the male caudal end (number and arrangement of caudal papillae, size and shape of spicules). Molecular data included a 720 bp sequence fragment of 18S rDNA, the entire internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 5.8S rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS), flanked by a 288 bp 18S rDNA sequence and about 1000 bp 28S rDNA sequence, and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene marker obtained in the present study.

Results

All specimen recovered were identical, based on morphological and molecular data, with the exception of two specimens showing an intraspecific divergence of 9% based on a 694 bp sequence fragment of the cox1 gene. Additionally, a Contracaecum sp. third stage larva and an unidentified larva with mushroom-shaped anterior extremity were found. Descriptions of S. ankarafantsika and the two above-mentioned larval stages, supported by photomicrographs and molecular data 18S rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S and cox1 gene fragments are presented herein.

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Acknowledgements

Authors wish to express their sincere thanks to Mr. Elery Worth, Karingani Reserve; Ms Caterine Hanekom and Mr. Leonard Muller, Tembe Elephant Park; Dr. Stephen Bullard and Ms Haley Dutton, Auburn University; Olivier Verneau, University of Perpignan Via Domitia for their invaluable help during fieldwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa

    Teneal Nel, Louis du Preez, Edward Netherlands, Yaroslav Syrota & Roman Svitin

  2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Louis du Preez & Roman Svitin

  3. I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Yaroslav Syrota & Roman Svitin

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  1. Teneal Nel
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Correspondence to Roman Svitin.

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All applicable institutional, national and international guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. North-West University ethics approval no NWU-00380-16-A5.

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Nel, T., du Preez, L., Netherlands, E. et al. Spiroxys ankarafantsika Roca et Garcia, 2008 (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) and Other Nematodes Parasitising Pelusios spp. (Testudines: Pelomedusidae) from South Africa and Mozambique. Acta Parasit. 66, 954–961 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-021-00352-0

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