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DNA Barcoding Reveals Association of Glossiphoniidae Species on Endangered Freshwater Turtles in Northeast India

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Abstract

Background

The identification of Glossiphoniidae species is often confusing due to the lack of both morphological and molecular data worldwide.

Purpose

The study aimed to identify the collected leech specimens from two endangered freshwater turtles, Chitra indica and Pangshura sylhetensis from northeast India.

Methods

We generated DNA barcode sequences and estimated the genetic distances and phylogenetic relationship of the studied taxa with another 14 Glossiphoniidae genera (114 barcode sequences).

Results

The high genetic distinctiveness (17.9 to 26.3%) and distinct clustering in Neighbor-Joining (NJ) phylogeny, we identified the studied specimens as Glossiphoniidae sp. We assumed that the studied specimens might be a new member of Glossiphoniidae or an extant species without DNA information.

Conclusion

Hence, the study recommends further sampling of leeches from the similar host as well as from same and various localities and also generates the molecular data to perceive the exact diversity. The aimed study is also helpful to encourage the awareness and conservation management of freshwater turtles and other threatened animals.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Director, Zoological Survey of India, MoEF&CC for providing necessary research facilities and support. Authors acknowledge the research funding for this work from DST-SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (F. no. PDF/2015/000302) to the first author S. K. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, and analysis or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 700053, India

    Shantanu Kundu, Vikas Kumar, Kaomud Tyagi, Avas Pakrashi & Kailash Chandra

  2. Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Hyderabad, 500048, India

    Boni Amin Laskar

Authors
  1. Shantanu Kundu
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  2. Vikas Kumar
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  3. Kaomud Tyagi
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  4. Avas Pakrashi
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  5. Boni Amin Laskar
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  6. Kailash Chandra
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Correspondence to Vikas Kumar.

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Kundu, S., Kumar, V., Tyagi, K. et al. DNA Barcoding Reveals Association of Glossiphoniidae Species on Endangered Freshwater Turtles in Northeast India. Acta Parasit. 64, 213–217 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-018-00023-7

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