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Typhlophoros kwenae n. sp. (Nematoda: Ascaridida: Heterocheilidae), a gastric parasite from the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) in South Africa

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Abstract

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical observations, Typhlophoros kwenae n. sp. (Heterocheilidae), a new nematode parasite, is described from the stomach of the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti in South Africa. In having three lips with well-developed posterior prolongations and prominent interlabial longitudinal cuticular ridges, four pairs of precloacal papillae and complex spicules divided into handle and broad alate blade in males, as well as the position of the vulva near mid-body in females, the specimens conform to the generic diagnosis of Typhlophoros von Linstow, 1906. They can, however, be distinguished from the two previously described congeners, T. lamellaris von Linstow, 1906 and T. spratti Sprent, 1999, by the number of complete interlabial ridges, the length of spicules in males and the position of the vulva as well as the length of the tail in females. This is the first record of the genus Typhlophoros from the Afrotropical Realm.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr Danny Govender, Kruger National Park, South Africa, for facilitating and co-ordinating the crocodile study as well as performing the post-mortem examination of the crocodiles, together with the late Dr Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, University of Pretoria. We are indebted to Professor Joop Boomker, University of Pretoria, for lending his expertise to the dissection of gastrointestinal tracts and preparation of aliquots. The assistance of Mr Frans Masubelle and Mr Daniel Chipana, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, with parasite recovery from the ingesta is appreciated.

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Correspondence to Kerstin Junker.

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All applicable institutional, national and international guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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This article was registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) as 736A7356-ECB3-4A81-B2A2-D7026030795B. This article was published as an Online First article on the online publication date shown on this page. The article should be cited by using the doi number. This is the Version of Record.

This article is part of the Topical Collection Nematoda.

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Junker, K., Mutafchiev, Y. Typhlophoros kwenae n. sp. (Nematoda: Ascaridida: Heterocheilidae), a gastric parasite from the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) in South Africa. Syst Parasitol 94, 971–978 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-017-9757-x

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