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Morphology, ultrastructure and molecular characterisation of Spiroxys japonica Morishita, 1926 (Spirurida: Gnathostomatidae) from Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell) (Amphibia: Ranidae)

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Abstract

Gnathostomatid nematodes identified morphologically as Spiroxys japonica Morishita, 1926 were collected from the dark-spotted frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell) (Amphibia: Ranidae) in China. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphology of this species in detail. Previously unreported morphological features are revealed and others corrected. In addition, adult nematodes of S. japonica collected from P. nigromaculatus and Spiroxys hanzaki Hasegawa, Miyata & Doi, 1998 collected from Andrias japonicus (Temminck) (Caudata: Cryptobranchidae) in China and Japan, respectively, and the third-stage larva of S. japonica collected from Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw) (Anura: Ranidae) in Japan, were characterised using molecular methods by sequencing and analysing ribosomal [large ribosomal DNA (18S) and internal transcribed space] and mitochondrial [cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1] target regions, respectively. The new morphological and genetic data contributes to a more accurate diagnosis of this hitherto little known nematode genus.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. David I. Gibson (Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK) for a critical review of the manuscript. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 31101615 and 31272269), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (no. C2012205007), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (no. 2012M520593), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Education Department (no. Y2012012), the Postdoctoral Research Projects merit subsidy of Human Resources and Social Security Department of Hebei Province, the Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Scientists 25924009 from the Japan Society for Promotion of Sciences, and the Natural Science Foundation and the Biology Postdoctoral Programme of Hebei Normal University (nos. L2010B13 and 111008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, 20 East Road of 2nd South Ring, Yuhua District, 050024, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China

    Liang Li, Yan-Ning Guo & Lu-Ping Zhang

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Hasama, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan

    Hideo Hasegawa & Akiko Sato

  3. Departament de Zoologia, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100, Burjassot, València, Spain

    Vicente Roca

  4. Medical College of Hebei University of Engineering, 056002, Handan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China

    Zhen Xu

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  1. Liang Li
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  2. Hideo Hasegawa
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  3. Vicente Roca
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  4. Zhen Xu
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  5. Yan-Ning Guo
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  6. Akiko Sato
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  7. Lu-Ping Zhang
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Correspondence to Liang Li or Lu-Ping Zhang.

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Li, L., Hasegawa, H., Roca, V. et al. Morphology, ultrastructure and molecular characterisation of Spiroxys japonica Morishita, 1926 (Spirurida: Gnathostomatidae) from Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell) (Amphibia: Ranidae). Parasitol Res 113, 893–901 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3720-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3720-9

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