Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2013) 37: 128-131 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Short Communication doi:10.3906/zoo-1202-11

Helminth fauna of Neurergus strauchii (Steindacher, 1888) (spotted newt) collected from Bingöl, Turkey

1, 2 2 2 Mustafa KOYUN *, Sezen İNCEDOĞAN , Nurhan SÜMER , Hikmet Sami YILDIRIMHAN 1 Department of Biology, Science and Literature Faculty, Bingöl University, 12000 Bingöl, Turkey 2 Department of Biology, Science and Literature Faculty, Uludağ University, 16059 Bursa, Turkey

Received: 09.02.2012 Accepted: 26.06.2012 Published Online: 24.12.2012 Printed: 21.01.2013

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate helminth parasites of spotted newt (Neurergus strauchii) in Bingöl Province in 2010. Twenty-seven spotted newts were collected from a stream in the vicinity of Soğukpınar village located in the Genç district of Bingöl. Two species of helminthes were found from the collected samples. These are Cosmocerca commutata and Aplectana acuminata. This paper is the second study on spotted newt (Neurergus strauchii) in Turkey, but Aplectana acuminata is a new record for the host (N. strauchii) in Turkish helminth fauna.

Key words: Spotted newt, Neurergus strauchii, nematode

The spotted newt on which this study was conducted Two species of nematodes were encountered in the 27 is 1 of the 19 tailed frogs that exist in Turkey. It is only examined spotted newts. These species wereAplectana distributed in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq in the world (Budak acuminata (Schrank, 1788) (Figures 1–4) and Cosmocerca and Göçmen, 2008; Frost, 2010; Göçmen et al., 2011). commutata (Diesing, 1861) (Figures 5–7). Statistical values Nine of these newts have been studied for their parasitic of the parasitic nematodes are given in Table 1. helminths so far. These are Lyciasalamandra billae, L. There are 19 newt species in the records of Turkish antalyana, L. luschani, L. atifi, L. fazilae, Mertensiella fauna. On 9 of them, parasitological studies have been caucasica, Neurergus strauchii, Ommatotrition vittatus, and done. The studies conducted and the parasites found in Triturus karelini (Yıldırımhan et al., 2005, 2011, 2012b; the newt species are given in Table 2 (Yıldırımhan et al., Yıldırımhan, 2007, 2008; Yıldırımhan and Öz, 2008). 2005, 2011, 2012b; Yıldırımhan, 2007, 2008; Yıldırımhan For this study, 27 N. strauchii (16 males and 11 females) and Öz, 2008; this paper). individuals were collected by hand and scoop net from a There was only one study that was conducted on newts ′ ″ ′ ″ stream in Soğukpinar village (38°42 649 N, 40°27 091 E; distributed in the southern region of Turkey. In that study, altitude: 1073 m) in the Genç district of Bingöl Province in December 2010. Average body length of the newts ranged between 124 and 165 mm. Field collected samples were examined within a short duration (4 days) after the collection. Samples were injected with sodium pentobarbital and then opened from the ventral region. Body cavity and the inner organs were examined under stereo-binocular microscope for the presence of parasites. Recovered nematodes were transferred to warm, salty water for a while and then preserved in 70% alcoholic solutions for later examination. The nematodes were then mounted in gelatin–glycerol media as permanent slides and identified to the species level. The parasites and the newt samples were deposited in the Department of Biology of Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey. Figure 1. A. acuminata female (4×). * Correspondence: [email protected] 128 KOYUN et al. / Turk J Zool

Figure 2. A. acuminata female posterior (10×).

Figure 5. C. commutata female anterior (10×).

Figure 6. C. commutata female posterior (10×). Figure 3. A. acuminata male anterior (10×).

Figure 4. A. acuminata male spicule (40×). Figure 7. C. commutata male posterior (10×).

129 KOYUN et al. / Turk J Zool only C. commutate was found. The examined samples were (Yıldırımhan and Öz, 2008), L. antalyana (Yıldırımhan collected from Malatya and Bitlis (Yıldırımhan, 2007). The et al., 2011), and L. atifi (Yıldırımhan et al., 2012b). N. samples of the present study were collected from Bingöl strauchii is a new host for this parasite species. and 2 parasitic nematode species were found. These are A. C. commutata is a commonly encountered species in acuminata (Schrank, 1788) and C. commutata (Diesing, frogs (Schad et al., 1960; Buchvarov, 1977; Mashaii, 1999; 1861). Yıldırımhan, 1999; Al-Sorkhy and Amr, 2003; Düşen and A. acuminata was first described in Pseudepidalea Öz, 2004, 2006; Yıldırımhan, 2007; Düşen et al., 2010, viridis (Schrank, 1788), and later it was reported from Düşen, 2011; Yıldırımhan et al., 2012a). This parasite several marine and terrestrial frogs (Baker, 1987; species has been recovered from N. strauchii for the second Yıldırımhan and Karadeniz, 2007). This species was time. also reported from various newt species. These were The study has generated an important contribution to Mertensiella caucasica (Sharpilo, 1978; Yıldırımhan et the uncovering of the parasitic fauna of the spotted newt. It al., 2005), Triturus cristatus (Ryzhikov et al., 1980), S. is expected to lead to other studies on this topic. salamandrae (Prokopic and Krivanec, 1975), L. billae

Table 1. Parasites found on Neurergus strauchii, location, total parasite number, minimum–maximum incidence numbers, parasitized newt numbers, and incidence rates.

Total parasite Minimum–maximum Parasitized newt Incidence rate Parasites Location found number incidence number (%) Aplectana acuminata (Schrank, 1788) Intestine 5 1–2 4 1 Cosmocerca commutata (Diesing, 1861) Intestine 461 4–43 27 99

Table 2. Helminths recovered from newts in Turkey (1. Yıldırımhan et al., 2005; 2. Yıldırımhan, 2007; 3. Yıldırımhan and Öz, 2008; 4. Yıldırımhan, 2008; 5. Yıldırımhan et al., 2011; 6. Yıldırımhan et al., 2012b; 7. this study).

Hosts Triturus karelini Neurergus strauchii Neurergus Lyciasalamandra atifi Lyciasalamandra Mertensiella caucasica Mertensiella Ommatotriton vittatus Parasites billae Lyciasalamandra Lyciasalamandra fazilae Lyciasalamandra Lyciasalamandra luschani Lyciasalamandra antalyana Monogenea Euzetrema caucasica - - - - - 1 - - - Digenea Brachycoelium salamandrae - - - - - 1 - - - Opisthioglyphe rastellus - - - - - 1 - - - Cestoda Nematotaenia dispar - - - - - 1 - - - Nematoda Amphibiocapillaria tritonispunctati - - - - - 1 - - - Angiostoma aspersae 5 - 3 - 5 - - - - Aplectana acuminata 5 6 3 - - 1 7 - - Aplectana linstowi - - - 6 - - - - - Cosmocerca commutata ------2,7 - - Cosmocerca longicauda 5 6 3 6 - 1 - - - Oxysomatium brevicaudatum ------4 4 Oswaldocruzia filiformis ------4 - Megalobatrachonema terdentatum ------4 - Oxysomatium brevicaudatum ------Mertensinema iberica - - - - - 1 - - - Rhabdias bermani - 6 ------Acanthocephala Acanthocephalus ranae - - - - - 1 - - -

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