Digenea: Notocotylidae) in Fu/Iea Atra (Gruiformes) from the Canary Islands (West Africa)

73 A peculiar finding of Paramonostomum sp. (Digenea: Notocotylidae) in Fu/iea atra (Gruiformes) from the Canary Islands (West Africa).

Foronda, P.l; Casanova, J.C.2; Figueruelo, E. 1; Del Castillo, Á. 1 & Feliu, c.2 1 Dpto. Parasitología, Ecología y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de La Laguna. CI Astrofísico Feo. Sánchez sin La Laguna 38203 Islas Canarias. 2 Lab. Parasitología, Fac. Farmacia, Univ. Barcelona 08028 Barcelona.

Received: 05.02.2003 Accepted: 15.12.2003 Abstract: Adult digeneans found in Fulica atra (Gruiformes) from Tenerife (Canaly Tslands) were identified as Paramonostomum sp. (Notocotylidae). This Paramonostomum sp. is close to Hofmonostomum himantopidis Harwood, 1939 in the posterior extension ofthe vitellary follicles. No specific name ofthese specimens is proposed due to the scarcity ofmaterial. The inclusion of our mate rial on the genus Paramonostomum Lühe, 1909 is discussed. For the first time, a species of bird's Ilotocotylid from Paramonostomum genus is reported in the African continent. Keywords: Paramonostomum, Notocotylidae, Fulica atra, Canary Islands, taxonomy.

Resumen: Se detectaron digénidos adultos en Fulica atra (Gruiformes) procedentes de Tenerife (Islas Canarias) que fueron identi ficados como Paramonostomum sp. (Notocotylidae). Existe una gran similitud entre estos ejemplares y Hofmonostomum himanto pidis Harwood, 1939 en cuanto a la extensión de los folículos vitelinos. No se propone un nombre específico para esta especie debi do a la escasez del material. Se discute la inclusión de nuestro material en el género Paramonostomum Lühe, 1909. Ésta es la pri mera cita de un Ilotocotílido de aves del género Paramonostomum en el continente africano. Palabras clave: Paramonostomum, Notocotylidae, Fulica atra, Islas Canarias, taxonomía.

1. Introduction in the protected area called La Charca del Fraile. At The bird helminth fauna the in Canary this location, during the winter of 1999, four Archipelago is poorly known. The Canary Islands are specimens of Canarian coots could be examined after located in the migration paths of several species of natural death. In one of these hosts, digenean wild birds. The coot, Fulica atra, is a partial migration trematodes, Paramonostomum sp., were found in the bird. This species is widely distributed in Europe, and intestinal caeCum. The specimens are examined and in the Canaries it inhabits in four islands during the described herein. whole Year and in the others, it is only present in winter but without reproduction (Martín and Lorenzo 2. Material and Methods 2001). The parasitic helminth fauna of F atra has The frozen conserved hosts were dissected for been studied in different cou.ntries where the coot pass parasitic helminths. Three specimens of platyhelminths some times in their migratory way to Europe from were found in the caecum, stored in 70% ethanol, Africa. Fulica atra is a protected species in the stained with Semichon's acetocarmine, dehydrated Canary Islands and their populations are restricted to sequentially in alcohol, cleared in xylol, and mounted in acuatic habitats in several islands. In the island of Canadian balsam. The drawing was made with the aid Tenerife, a small population ofthis water bird inhabits of a drawing tube.

Corresponding author: 3. Results and Discussion Dra. Pilar Foronda Rodríguez The worms were small, elongate 1442 ¡..tm long Opto. Parasitología, Ecología y Genética, Fac. Farmacia, Univ. La Laguna by 515 ¡..tm maximum width at the uterine reglOn CI Astrofísico Feo. Sánchez sin La Laguna 38203 Islas Canarias. Tfno: 922 318484 Fax: 922318514 E-mail: [email protected] without ventral glands or ridges (see Fig. 1).

vitellaria do not extend posteriorly to the anterior margin of testes, whereas in HOfmonostomum the vitellarias extend to the posterior ends of testicles (Yamaguti, 1971). Cribb (1991) considers that the genus Hofmonostomum is synonymous of Paramonostomum 1000 ¡..tm in basis of the misinterpretation of H. himantopidis anatomy described by Harwood (1939). Our specimens are similar to H himantopidis in the posterior vitellarian extension, but not in their anterior extension, and lobated ovary. In view of the morphological characters, we have decided to name our specimens Paramonostomum sp. waiting on future recolection of more individuals for studies of morphological and metrical variability. The inclusion of H himantopidis and Paramonostomum sp. in the genus Paramonostomum requires the redescríption of this Figure 1. Paramonoslomum sp. in Fuliea aIra. Scale bar = 1000 ).1m. genus considering the posterior extensíon of the vitellarias. Afier the key of Yamaguti (1971), H. Oral sucker spherical, subterminal with 103 ¡..t.m himantopidis and Paramonostomum sp. are included in of diameter. Oesophagus short and narrow, 40 ¡..t.m in the genus Paramonostomum. lenght. Caeca passing medial to testes and finishing near The geographic origin of the infection is the posterior end. Testicles sligthly lobed, elongated, considered uncertain due to the migratory ways ofthis symetrically near posterior end, 154.5 x 77.7 ¡..t.m. Cirrus host. In Africa, no species of Paramonostomum from pouch well developed, 360.5 ¡..t.m in lenght and 98.0 ¡..t.m birds have been described and in Europe five species in width at level of internal seminal vesicle. Genital pore have been described (P alveatum (Mehlis and median, postbifurcal. Ovary median, intertesticular, Creplin, 1846) Lühe, 1909; P bueephalae Yamaguti, 102.4 x 115.2 ¡..t.m in length and width, with anterior 1935; P ehabaudi Van Strydonck, 1965 ; P dollfusi shell gland complexo Vitelline glands sinuous, Van Strydonck, 1965 and P querquedulum Lal, 1936) extracaecal, in lateral fields extending from the median which are parasites of other birds as F atra (Evans et region ofthe body (posterior half) to posterior end ofthe al., 1997). In the coot (F atra), two Paramonostomum testicles, 391.4 ¡..t.m and 422.3 ¡..t.m in length, lefi and species were described, P macrostomum Kuc, 1938 in right respectively. Uterus transversely coiled, intercecal. China and P fulicai Baugh, 1958 at an unknown type Metraterm differentiated alongside cirrus pucho Eggs locality (Yamaguti, 1971). None of theses species 20.2 ¡..t.m and 10.1 in width and length with two long resembles the general morphology of our polar filaments. Paramonostomum sp. due mainly to the extension of Our specimens agreed with the morphological vitelline glands, a characteristic of the invalidate description by Harwood (1939) of Hofmonostomum genus Hofmonostomum. More material is required to himantopidis, a notocotyilid digenean parasite of confirm the specific status of this Paramonostomum. Himantopus mexieanus from Puerto Rico. The genus Helminths of six species of the genus Fuliea are Hofmonostomum was created by Harwood (1939) for known. In F armillata and F rufzfrons no digeneans of the sole species H himantopidis, no other species ofthis the family Notocotylidae were denounced. In F genus has been reported. In the genus Hofmonostomum, americana only one of the 11 species of digeneans the most peculiar character related to the genus reported in USA, Hawai and Canada, is a notocotylid Paramonostomum Lühe, 1909 is the posterior extension (Notoeotylus pacifer) (Eley, 1976). Two digeneans of the vitelline glands. In Paramonostomum the species have been found parasitizing F cristata in Foronda, P., el al., A peculiar finding of Paramonostomum sp. (Digenea: Notocotylidae) ... 75

South Africa one of which is Notocotylus sp. Eley, T.J.Jr. 1976. Helminth parasites in American coots from the (McLaughlin, 1986). Szidat and Szidat (1961) found lower Colorado river. California Fish and Came, 62, 156-157. Evans, D.W. ; Irwin, S.W.B. and Fitzpatrick, S.M. 1997. three notocotylid species parasitizing F leucoptera (N Metacercarial encystment and in vivo cultivation of chionis, N gibbus, N tachyeretis) in Brazil. The most Cercaria lebouri Stunkard 1932 (Digenea: Notocotylidae) studied coot species is F atra with data available from to adults identified as Paramonostomum Chabaudi Van Europe, URSS, India, China, Egypt and the Canary Strydonck 1965. Int J Parasitol, 27, 1299-1304. Islands. Ofthe 38 digenean species reported in this host Gupta, P.D. 1970. Fauna ofRajasthan, India. Part 8. Trematoda. only four species, all from the genus Notocotylus, are Rec Zool Surv India, 62, 171-190. cited: N gibbus from Italy; N pacifer from Germany; Harwood, P.D. 1939. Notes on Tennessee helminths. IV. North J N barmerensis from India and Notocotylus sp. from American trematodes of the subfamily Notocotylinae. Tennessee Acad Sci, 14,421-437. Slovak Republic (Ricci and Carrescia, 1961; Odening, Martín, A. and Lorenzo, l .A. 2001. Aves del Archipiélago 1966; Gupta, 1970; Babicka and Vojtek, 1972). This is Canario. Francisco Lemus Ed. La Laguna. the first report ofthe one bird notocotylid ofthe genus McLaughlin, J.D. 1986. Helmintos of the red-knobbed coot Paramonostomum in the African area. (Fulica cristata) from Barberspan, Republic of South Africa. J Wildlife Diseases, 22, 577-579. 4. Acknowledgements Odening, K. 1966. Physidae und Planorbidae als Wirte in den Lebenszyklen einheimischer Notocotylidae (Trematoda: We wish to thank to the "Excelentísimo Cabildo Insular de Tenerife" Paramphistomida). Z Parasitkde, 27, 210-239. (Convenio marco entre el Excmo. Cabildo Insular de Tenerife y la Ricci, M. and Carrescia, P.M. 1961. Contributo aIla conoscenza Universidad de La Laguna) for supporting this study. delI-elmintofauna degli ucceIli d'acqua dolce in Italia. 1. Trematoda. Revista di Parassitologia, 22, 237-258. 5. References Szidat, 1. and Szidat, U. 1961. Die Trematoden der Gattung Babicka, C. and Vojtek, J. 1972. Príspevek k poznání helmintofauny Notocotylus Diesing 1839 (Notocotylidae Lühe 1909) aus lysky cemé (Fulica atra L.). Folia Facultatis Scientiarum Südamerika bzw. Argentinien und Daten ihrer Naturalium Universitatis Purkynianae Brunensis, Biologia Entwick1ungsgeschichte. Zeitschrift fUr Parasitenkunde, 21, 36, 13, 3-20. 169-180. Cribb, T.H. 1991. Synonymy of Hofmonostomum Harwood 1939 Yamaguti, S. 1971. Digenea of birds. In: Synopsis of Digenetic with Paramonostomum Lühe, 1909 Digenea Notocotylidae. Trematodes ofVertebrates. Vol J (Keigaku Pub1ishing Co.) JHelmintholSoc Wash, 58,116-117. Tokyo. Japan,475-686.