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Clinostomum album n. sp. and Clinostomum marginatum (Rudolphi, 1819), parasites of the great egret Ardea alba L. from Mississippi, USA

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Abstract

Members of the genus Clinostomum Leidy, 1856, colloquially known as yellow grubs, are cosmopolitan parasites of piscivorous birds, freshwater snails, fish and amphibians. In the southeastern United States, piscivorous birds present a continuous challenge for producers of farm-raised catfish. Ciconiiform birds are common hosts of Clinostomum spp. in North America and are endemic on most commercial catfish operations. The great egret Ardea alba L. is an avian predator often found foraging on commercial catfish operations, but to date the trematode fauna of great egrets preying on catfish ponds remains mostly understudied. Thirteen great egrets were captured from commercial catfish ponds in northeast Mississippi, and examined for trematode infections. Two morphologically distinct Clinostomum spp. were observed in the great egrets sampled, one morphologically consistent with Clinostomum marginatum (Rudolphi, 1819) and one morphologically unique species. These morphological descriptions were supplemented with molecular sequence data (c.4,800 bp of ribosomal DNA and c.600 bp of mitochondrial DNA). Gene sequences confirmed the identification of C. marginatum. However, the second species differed significantly from its congeners in both morphology and DNA sequence. Given these distinct morphological and molecular characters we propose this second species as Clinostomum album n. sp.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Katie Hanson-Dorr, Lanna Durst, Alex Crain, Lorelei Ford, and Raleigh Middleton for their assistance in capturing the egrets and during egret necropsies.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Project Number MIS-371530, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service-Catfish Health Initiative, the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

    Thomas G. Rosser, Neely R. Alberson, Ethan T. Woodyard & Linda M. Pote

  2. Mississippi Field Station, National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

    Fred L. Cunningham

  3. Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Aquatic Research & Diagnostic Laboratory, Delta Research and Extension Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, MS, 38776, USA

    Matt J. Griffin

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  1. Thomas G. Rosser
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Correspondence to Matt J. Griffin.

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Rosser, T.G., Alberson, N.R., Woodyard, E.T. et al. Clinostomum album n. sp. and Clinostomum marginatum (Rudolphi, 1819), parasites of the great egret Ardea alba L. from Mississippi, USA. Syst Parasitol 94, 35–49 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-016-9686-0

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