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Aspects of the Ecology of Proteocephalid Cestode Parasites of Hoplobatrachus Tigerinus

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Aspects of the Ecology of Proteocephalid Cestode Parasites of Hoplobatrachus Tigerinus Journal of Applied Life Sciences International 9(1): 1-11, 2016; Article no.JALSI.29053 ISSN: 2394-1103 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org Aspects of the Ecology of Proteocephalid Cestode Parasites of Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin, 1803) and Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) from YSR (Kadapa) District, Andhra Pradesh, India Mannela Hemalatha1, C. Srinivasa Kalyan1 and Anuprasanna Vankara1* 1Department of Zoology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, 516 003, India. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Authors MH and CSK collected the host samples and parasites and prepared the initial manuscript. Author AV framed and formatted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JALSI/2016/29053 Editor(s): (1) J. Rodolfo Rendón Villalobos, Department of Technological Development, National Polytechnic Institute, México. Reviewers: (1) Mohamed Moussa Ibrahim, Suez Canal University, Egypt. (2) Serdar Dusen, Pamukkale University, Turkey. (3) Rewaida Abdel-Gaber, Cairo University, Egypt. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/16724 Received 20th August 2016 Accepted 18th October 2016 Short Research Article th Published 28 October 2016 ABSTRACT The Indian bull frog, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus Daudin, 1803 and Asian common toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus Schneider, 1799 are frequently found to be infected with the proteocephalid cestodes. The seasonal dynamics of the Proteocephalus sp. was studied in both amphibians during February, 2013 to January, 2015 from YSR (Kadapa) District, Andhra Pradesh. Of the total 300 H. tigerinus examined, only 18 frogs (6%) were infected with the cestode, Proteocephalus tigrinus and of the 46 D. melanostictus examined, only 15 frogs (32.6%) were found to be infected with Proteocephalus sp. Intensity of infection ranged from 1 to 11(n=31) in H. tigerinus and 1 to 2 (n= 19) in D. melanostictus. Monthly population dynamics of cestodesof H. tigerinus and D. melanostictus were analysed in terms of prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance and index of infection. The effect of habitat predilection and the impact of season on the parasitic load were analysed. The impact of host size and sex on the intensity of infection was also studied. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]; Hemalatha et al.; JALSI, 9(1): 1-11, 2016; Article no.JALSI.29053 Keywords: Hoplobatrachus tigerinus; Duttaphrynus melanostictus; proteocephalus; prevalence; mean intensity; mean abundance; index of infection. 1. INTRODUCTION Site-4: Bouinpalli village, Kadapa.(Lat.14o28’N 78°52’E, 379 meters). Parasitism is the one of the most common ecological relationships representing a complex All four sites were sampled frequently for two web of interactions among hosts. Host years, February, 2013 to January, 2015 for the represents a resource and a habitat where the experimental hosts, H. tigerinus (n=300) and parasite can survive. Amphibians serve as from September, 2013 to September, 2014 for definitive, intermediate, or paratenic hosts for D. melanostictus (n=46) from YSR (Kadapa) many macroparasites such as trematodes, district, Andhra Pradesh, India. cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans Various parameters such as sex, snout-vent and leeches in aquatic and terrestrial food length and weight of the each amphibian were webs. Individual frogs and toads harbours a recorded for ecological studies according to dozen of macroparasite species in thousands of standard procedure. Amphibians were collected number [1,2]. The class Cestoda is one of and brought to the laboratory, dissected and the major and widespread parasitic classes of examined for the parasites. The animals were the phylum Platyhelminthes infecting all dissected and various organs such as classes of vertebrates around the world. The oesophagus, stomach, intestine and rectum were cestodes of the genus Proteocephalus are expansively examined for the cestode parasites. reported to occur in freshwater fishes, The tissues of the amphibians were dissected amphibians and reptiles. The work on out separately in petri dish containing 0.7 percent proteocephalid cestodes was contributed from all saline solution. A number of adult cestodes were over the world by [3-26] from various vertebrate obtained from both the hosts which were easily hosts. Proteocephalid cestodes were the only identified due to their ribbon like body and its cestode parasites obtained from two species of small, round scolex with four suckers. Parasite amphibians, Hoplobatrchus tigerinus and was carefully segregated from the intestinal walls Duttaphrynus melanosticus during the present without causing any damage to the parasite parasitological survey. In the present study, [8,27]. (Anatomical and morphological characters Proteocephalus tigrinus was reported from of the cestode parasites were observed under H. tigerinus where as D. melanostictus showed the Lynx trinocular microscope (N-800M) and infection with Proteocephalus sp. whose species figures were drawn with the aid of attached name is not identified in the present study. This drawing tube. Ocular micrometer measurements study was mainly focused on the various aspects of the parasite were in Micrometers unless of ecology of the proteocephalid cestodes from otherwise stated. Pearson’s coefficient of these two hosts which will provide a correlation ‘r’ was applied to study the comprehensive knowledge about their seasonal relationship between host’s snout-vent length occurrence and community structure in these and parasitization. The influence of host sex on hosts. the parasitic abundance and prevalence of 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS parasites was analysed by applying Mann- whitney (Vassarstat.net/utest.html). The 2.1 Sampling Sites quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data and various statistical calculations such as Four different localities where natural prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, vegetation’s are disturbed by anthropogenic standard deviation, correlations, t-tests, Chi- activities were selected: square tests were carried out with Microsoft Excel (2007) and SPSS IBM 21 Version and Site 1: Industrial Estate area (Lat. 14°47´N standard statistical books [28-31]. The ecological 78°76´E, 138 meters Altitude), YSR terminology in parasitology was adopted from (Kadapa) district. [32]. Site 2: Ramapuram village (14.05°N 78.75°E, 143 meters), Raychoti and 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Site 3: Campus area of Yogi Vemana 3.1 Monthly Population Dynamics University (Lat.14°28´N 78°49´E, 137 m Altitude), located in YSR Kadapa The seasonal occurrence of the cestode species District of Andhra Pradesh. in H. tigerinus was analysed from February, 2013 2 Hemalatha et al.; JALSI, 9(1): 1-11, 2016; Article no.JALSI.29053 to January, 2015 and the seasonal occurrence of prevalence of infection during rainy and lowest Proteocephalus sp. was analysed in during summer which might be due to the low D. melanostictus from September, 2013 to metabolic activities of the host during the September, 2014 because of their less aestivation period during summer season (Fig. obtainability. Monthly population dynamics of 3b). Protocephalid cestode of H. tigerinus and D. melanostictus was investigated in terms of 3.3 Community Structure prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance. For H. tigerinus, the two annual Of the total 300 H. tigerinus examined, only 18 cycles are slightly different with highest overall frogs (6%) were infected with Proteocephalus prevalence in the month of October, moderate in tigrinus and of the 46 D. melanostictus November, and January for 2013-14 cycle while examined, only 15 frogs (32.6%) were found to the rest of the months showed no infection be infected with Proteocephalus sp. The (Fig. 1a). However, 2014-2015 cycle showed a prevalence of Proteocephalus tigrinus in H. different track with highest prevalence being in tigerinus was 6%, with a mean intensity of the month of April, moderate in March, 1.72±1.21, mean abundance 0.10±0.07 and September, November and December. Mean index of infection 0.006 whereas the prevalence intensity was highest in January, moderate in of Proteocephalus sp. infection was 32.6%, with October and Novemberfor first annual cycle while mean intensity (1.26±0.89), mean abundance rest of the months showed no infection. 2014- (0.41±0.28) and index of infection (0.134) for 2015 cycle showed variation from the previous D. melanostictus (Table 1). Intensity of infection cycle with highest mean intensity being in the ranged from 1 to 11 (n=31) in H. tigerinus and 1 months of March, April, September and to 2 (n= 19) in D. melanostictus. November and slightly moderate values in May and December and no infection in the rest of the The term locality refers to a geographic milieu of months (Fig. 1b). Mean abundance and index of the external environment from where the parasite infection was high in October for 2013-14 cycle is segregated. It refers to the geographic spot while it was high in April for 2014-2015 cycle with from where the individual population of rest of the months showing zero to negligible community is attained. Locality serves as one of infection for both cycles (Figs.1c and 1d). For the vital ecological factors playing a momentous D. melanostictus, the prevalence of role in the occurrence of parasitic species [33-
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