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Helminth fauna of Gallotia caesaris caesaris (Lehrs, 1914) from El Hierro island and Gallotia caesaris gomerae (Boettger et Müller, 1914) from La Gomera island (Sauria: ).

Martin, J.E.; Roca, V.; Galdón, M.A.; Sánchez-Mut, J.V. & Muniesa, J. Depaltamento de Zoología. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Valencia

Abstract: The helminthological study of 318 specimens of Cal/otia caesaris caesaris (Lehrs, 1914) and 21 of Callatia caesaris gomerae (Boettger et Müller, 1914) (Samia: Lacertidae) from El Hierro and La Gomera () respectively, allowed the finding of 12 parasitic (1 Cestoda, 10 Nematoda and 1 Acanthocephala). A taxonomic ana1ysis of these he1minth species has been made, providing data of their location in the host, prevalence and mean intensity. Key words: He1minths, LaceI1idae, Canary Islands, Spain.

Resumen: El estudio helmintológico de 318 ejemplares de Gallotia caesaris caesaris (Lehrs, 1914) y 21 de Gallotia caesaris gome­ rae (Boettger et Müller, 1914) (Sauria: Lacertidae), de las islas de El Hierro y La Gomera respectivamente, ha dado como resulta­ do la detección de 12 especies parásitas (1 Cestoda, 10 Nematoda y 1 Acanthocephala), de las que se describen las características esenciales, y se presentan los datos de prevalencia e intensidad media de infección. Palabras clave: Helmintos, Lacertidae, Islas Canarias, España.

1. Introduction lizard species, Gallotia caesaris caesaris (El Hierro) Canal)' Islands are located Southwest of the and G c. gomerae (La Gomera) (Mateo & García• Iberian peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean at 27° 37'- Márquez, 2002). 29° 24' N and 13° 37'-8° 10' W, and are constituted Studies referred to the helminth fauna ofthese by 7 major islands (, Fuerteventura, Gran canarian lacertids, are not very abundant (Astasio et Canaria, , La Gomera, and El al., 1987, 1988, 1989; Rocaetal., 1987, 1997, 1999; Hierro), 4 minor islands (Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Solera et al., 1988), with very scarce reference to G La Graciosa and Lobos), and many small islets caesaris. Therefore, helminths parasitizing G ("Roques"). Lacertids inhabiting this archipelago caesaris caesaris and G caesaris gomerae are are represented by species of the endemic studied, providing data concerning their prevalences Gallotia (Amo Id, 1973). Two of the islands of the and main intensities. archipelago, El Hierro and La Gomera, harbour, respectively, two of the same lacertid 2. Materials and Methods The helminthological analysis of 339 specimens of both subspecies of G caesaris was Corresponding author: carried out: 318 of G caesaris caesaris from six DI'. J.E. Martin localities from El Hierro island, and 21 specimens of Depaliamento de Zoología. Facul tad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad de Valencia G caesaris gomerae from San Antonio de La C/. DI'. Moliner, 50.46100 BUlj asot (Valencia, España) Gomera (Fig. 1). Specimens were eaught and given Te!.: +34 96 354 46 06 Fax: +34 96 354 4372 an overdose of ehloroform. Their digestive traet, E-mail: [email protected]

Revista Ibérica de Parasitología (2 003), 63 (1-2), 30-35 © 2003 Sociedad Española de Parasitología (SEP) 31 Martin, J.E. el al., Helminth fauna of Gallotia caesaris caesaris and G c. gomerae heart, lungs and Iiver were removed, opened and Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris and Gallotia placed in Ringer solution for examination. Helminths caesaris gomerae. were removed, washed in distilled water, and fixed Microhabitat: caecumLocalities: 1,3,4,5,6, 7. and mounted according to routine techniques. Prevalence: 50% in GC.caesaris and 38.1% m G c.gomerae. LA GOMiRA Mean intensity: 14.6 in GC.caesaris and 29.5 m Gc.gomerae. Specimens recovered from the analysed lacertids, agree in their morphological features with the original description (Astasio et al., 1988). Males present thin lateral alae, starting very close to the anterior part, extending up to the posterior third of the body, enlarging at cloaca level, and Fig. 1. Location of the prospected areas in La Gomera and El Hierrojoining underneath the caudal process; papillae (Canary Islands, Spain): 1. San Antonio; 2. Los L1anillos; 3. Dehesa; (two genital pairs and one caudal pair) are small 4. Nisdafe; 5. San Andrés; 6. El Risco; 7. El Gaterón. d d 1 t d h t f . e d t an pe une u a e ; s or , USllorm an s rong spicule. Females show relatively short and thin 3. Results and Discussion oesophagus, short and conical tail, and eggs with an Cestoda almost flat side and slightly sharp-pointed poles Family Mesocestoididae Poirier, 1897 with subterminal operculum at one of them. This Mesocestoides sp. (larvae) nematode was quoted by Roca (1999) in Gallotia Host: Gallotia caesaris caesaris caesaris caesaris. Thus, Gallotia caesaris gomerae Microhabitat: corporal cavity, liver is a new host for T gallo ti. Locality: 3 Prevalence: 0.3% Intensity: 171 The presence of tetrathyridia larvae in different species of sauria, and furthermore in other , is quite common (see, for example, Cho et al.,1982; Roca et al., 1986; Goldberg et al., ] 995). Nevertheless, in endemic sauria from Canary Islands, these larvae do not seem to be frequent; in fact, they have only been quoted in one occasion on Tarentola delalandii (Roca et al., 1987), whereas other larval species of Cestoda (Diplopylidium spp., Dipylidium sp., Monopylidium sp.), have be en indicated on different species of canarian geckonids (Chicharro, 1996; Roca et al., 1999), and in one species of lizard (Chicharro, loe. cit.). Our finding Fig. 2. A: Thelandros gall.oti, o"caudal end, ventral view. B: Thelandros filiformis, o"caudal end, ventral view; C: Thelandros tinerfensis, o"eau­ is, therefore, the first reference of this species on a dal end, ventral view; Ese.: A, B, C: 100 ).tm. canarian endemic lizard of the genus Gallo tia. Nematoda Thelandros jiliformis Astasio, González, Castaño et Family Pharyngodonidae Travassos, 1919 Zapatero, 1989 (Fig. 2) Thelandros gallo ti Astasio, Zapatero, Solera et Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris and Gallotia González, 1988 (Fig. 2). caesaris gomerae. Microhabitat: caecum. 32 Martin, J.E. el al. , Helminth fauna of Gal/olia caesaris caesaris and G c. gomerae

Localities: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. (see, for example, Roca and Hornero, 1994; Roca et Prevalence: 17.6% in GC.caesaris and 33.3% m al., 1989). In the Canarian Archipelago it has been Gc.gomerae. cited in geckonids (Chicharro, 1996; Roca et al., Mean intensity: 33.1 in GC.caesaris and 30.1 m 1999), as well as in some species and subspecies of Gc.gomerae. lizards (Chicharro, loe. cit.; Roca, 1999). Likewise, Males of this species differ from the ones of its presence in Podareis dugesii from Madeira T galloti in that lateral alae begin at the posterior (Sánchez-Gumiel et al., 1993), shows the wide third of the body; big and pedunculated adanal pair distribution of this species and allows us to of papillae, and long and thin spicule. Posterior end presuppose its presence in sauria from other areas of of females gets progressively thinner forming a Macaronesia. sharp-pointed and relatively long caudal process (see Astasio et al., 1989). As T gallo ti, G caesaris Spauligodon atlanticus Astasio, Zapatero, Ojeda et gomerae is a new host for T filiformis. Solera, 1987 . Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris and Gallotia Thelandros tinerfensis Solera, Astasio, Zapatero et caesaris gomerae. Castaño, 1988 (Fig. 2). Microhabitat: caecum. Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris and Gallotia Localities: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. caesaris gomerae. Prevalence: 35.5% in GC.caesaris and 52.4% m Microhabitat: caecum. Gc.gomerae. Localities: 1, 7. Mean intensity: 26.1 in GC.caesaris and 55.5 m Prevalence: 1.9% in GC.caesaris and 9.5% m Gc.gomerae. Gc.gomerae. Previously identified in Gallotia atlantica Mean intensity: 18 in GC.caesaris and 23.5 m atlantica (Astasio et al., 1987) and G a. mahoratae G c.gomerae. (Chicharro, 1996), its presence in the two Morphological features of males agree with subspecies of G caesaris, widens its range of hosts the original description given by Solera et al. (1988) on canarian lacertids. The main distinctive features clearly differing from the other two species of ofthis species are: males with very thin lateral alae Thelandros previously described: very short and beginning very near to the apical part, absence of wide lateral alae starting near the posterior end of spicule, third pair of papillae pedunculated and the body; caudal process with five papillae (the isolated in a short, thin and without spines caudal unique caudal papillae proceeds from two fused process; females with fusiform eggs with truncated papillae); blunt spicule with reinforced borders; ends, and long and thin caudal process with 6-8 genital conus reinforced by a V-shaped stagnanted strong spines. piece. Females show similar morphological features to both T galloti (caudal process) and T filiformis Alaeuris numidica canariensis Zapatero, Castaño et (shape ofthe eggs). G c. caesaris and G c. gomerae Zapatero, 1999 (Fig. 3). are new hosts for this species. Host: Gallotía caesaris caesaris. Microhabitat: caecum. Parapharyngodon micipsae Seurat, 1917 Freitas, Localities: 6, 7. 1957. Prevalence: 0.6%. Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris. Mean intensity: 9. Microhabitat: caecumLocalities:3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The material examined consisted of 15 Prevalence: 15.4%. specimens which agree with the original description Mean intensity: 8.4. given by Zapatero et al. (1999). Males and females Very common speCles, quoted in many with three lipped mouth with three internal laminae. occasions in both continental and insular sauna Males: semicircular caudal alae not supported by 33 Martin, l.E. et al., Helminth fauna of Gallotia caesaris caesaris and G c. gomerae the anal papillae; anterior anal lip formed by a analysis of both specimens identified by Roca double flap, one part of shorter with fluted edges (Ioc.cit.), has definitively allowed the assignment to and the other consisting of a plate with a lobed the described species. border; posterior anal lip supported by a V-shaped Tachygonetria macrolaimus Linstow, 1899 Seurat, piece. G caesaris caesaris becomes a new host for 1918 (Fig. 3). this species. Host: Gallotia caesaris caesaris. Microhabitat: caecum. Locality: 7. Prevalence: 0.3%. Intensity: 33. The absence of denticulation on the anterior part of the oesophagus, as well as its length in females, and the morphology of the second pair of papillae and the length of the spicule in males, allows us to distinguish between T macrolaimus and T dentata. These features, together with the absence of a short hialine process inserted on the distal part of the tail in males, the morphology of the spicule, or the length of the caudal process in females, distinguish this species from other congeneric ones (T robusta, T longicollis, T numidica or T canica) (see Roca et al., 1988). Fig. 3. A: Alaeuris numidica canariensis, ci'caudal end, ventral view; B: Alaeuris numidica canariensis, ci'caudal end, lateral view; C: Tachygonetria macrolaimus, ~ anterior end, ventral view; D: Family Seuratidae Hall, 1946 Railliet, 1916. Tachygonetria dentata, ~ anterior end, ventral view; E: Tachygonetria macrolaimus, ~anterior end, apical view; Esc.: A, B: 100 f.un; e, D: Skrjabinelazia pyrenaica . 1000 fLm.; E: SO fLl11. Hosts: Gallotia caesaris caesaris and Gallotia caesaris gomerae. Microhabitat: Caecum, intestine, stomach. Tachygonetria dentata Drasche, 1884 Seurat, 1918 Localities: 1,3,6, 7. (Fig.3). Prevalence: 13.2% in GC.caesaris and 4.8% ID Host: Gallotia caesaris caesaris. Gc.gomerae. Microhabitat: caecum. Mean intensity: 1.7 in G c. caesaris and 1 in Locality: 7. Gc.gomerae. Prevalence: 0.3%. The genus Skrjabinelazia shows a wide lntensity: 31. geographical distribution and intraspecific variability This species shows peculiar morphoanatomical (Roca and García-Adell, 1988; Homero, 1991). Such features, which allow its specific identification: variability is mainly related with the presence/absence denticulation of the anterior part of the relatively short of cuticular omamentation and the morphology ofthe oesophagus of females; second pair of papillae in caudal end on females, and the number of cloacal males which is divided into four elongated papillae. It papillae and the morphometric variation on males. At is a species widely quoted in chelonians of the genus morphoanatomicallevel, due to the fact that no males Testudo (Petter, 1966; Roca et al., 1988). The have be en identified in any of our analysed hosts, the presence of this species, as well as Tachygonetria analysis has been focused on the characters offemales macrolaimus, was already quoted in G caesaris in order to clarify the specific identity of our (Roca, 1999), although identified as Mehdiella sp1. specimens. These show the following characteristics: and Mehdiella sp2, respectively. A more detailed i) cuticular ornamentation, ii) conical tail, and iii) 34 Martin, J.E. et al., Helminth fauna of Gallotia caesaris caesaris and G c. gomerae oviparism. Such characteristics are found in S. has been commonly quoted in Reptiles (se e, for pyrenaiea (Roca and García-Adell, 1998), S. example, Roca, 1999), although G eaesaris hoffrnanni gudari (Roca et al, 1990) or S. hoffmanni becomes a new host for this species. baleariea (Homero, 1991). The presence of this type of larvae, as well as Considering that the distribution of S. h. gudari Spirurida gen. sp. and Mesoeestoides sp., suggest that is restricted to the Siena of Gúdar (Iberian Peninsula), G eaesaris could be part of the preys of sorne predator that our specimens do not show eggs with a coloured in which the development of these larvae would cover typical of S. h. baleariea, and that S. pyrenaiea continue until their transformation into adults, has be en described in Podareis dugesii from Madeira according to an heteroxenus life-cycle. Both, birds of (Sánchez Gumiel et al, 1991), this last species could be prey (see Roca et al., 1987; García-Márquez et al., proposed for the identified specimens. 1999a), and domestic cats, can capture specimens of G eaesaris. In fact, the importance of cats as predators of Family Spiruridae Oerley, 1885. lizards from the Canary Islands, has been recently Spirurida gen. sp. (larvae). shown (García-Márquez et al., 1999a, b; Roca et al., Host: Gallotia eaesaris eaesaris. 2002). Microhabitat: corporal cavity, oesophagus, lung, intestine. 5. Acknowledgements Localities: 3, 7. Permits (04/07/JVJ/JLRL and 04/07/TAB/JLR) for Prevalence: 2.5%. collecting living specimens were granted by the Viceconsejería Mean intensity: 2. de Medio Ambiente ofthe Canarian Government. 16 specimens of a nematoda on a larval stage were removed from 8 specimens of G e. eaesaris. The 6. References total absence of peculiar details made impossibJe Amold, E.N. 1973. Relationships ofthe paleartic lizards assigned advance with more detail in their taxonomic status. to the genera Lacerta, Algyroides and Thus, we were only able to locate this species at order (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Bulletin ofthe British Museum of Natural History (Zoology). 25,291-366. level according to the bilateral symmetry of the Astasio-Arbiza, P.; Zapatero-Ramos, L.M.; Ojeda-Rosas, C. cephalic region, and to the existence of an oesophagus and Solera-Puertas, M.A. 1987. Descripción de divided into two differentiated parts, in addition to the Spauligodon atlanticus n. sp. (Nematoda, absence of cuticular omamentation or the finger-shaped Pharyngodonidae) sobre Gallotia atlantica atlantica expansions observed in the posterior end of the tail. Petters and Doria, 1882 (Sauria: Lacertidae) de Larvae from different families of this order have been Lanzarote, Islas Canarias. Revista Ibérica de quoted in several reptiles, G eaesaris (Roca, 1999) Parasitología, 47, 359-364. Astasio-Arbiza, P.; Zapatero-Ramos, L.M.; Solera-Puertas, amongst them. M.A. and González-Santiago, P.M. 1988. Thelandros gallo ti n. sp. (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae) sobre Aeanthoeephala. gallo ti Duméril and Bibron, 1839, Family Gigantorhynchidae Hamann, 1892 emend. Lacértido endémico de Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Centrorhynehus. sp. (larvae). Revista Ibérica de Parasitología, 48, 283-288. Host: Gallotia eaesaris eaesaris. Astasio-Arbiza, P.; González-Santiago, P.M.; Castaño­ Microhabitat: corporal cavity. Fernández, C. and Zapatero-Ramos, L.M. 1989. Locality: 7. Descripción de Thelandros filiformis n. sp. (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae) sobre Gallotia gallo ti gallo ti Prevalence: 0.3%. Duméril and Bibron, 1839, de la isla de Tenerife (Islas Intensity: 171. Canarias). Revista Ibérica de Parasitología, 49, 45-50. The 171 specimens removed from one Chicharro, G. 1996. Parasitofauna de Tarentola delalandii, T individual of G e. eaesaris showed a maze-shaped gomerensis, T angustimentalis y Gallotia atlantica de proboscis with big hooks in its anterior region, not las Islas Canarias. Tesis Doctoral, Universidad following a quinquenntial distribution. This genus Complutense de Madrid. Spain. ------_ .. _---

35 Martin, J .E. et al., Helminth fauna of Gallotia caesaris caesaris and G c. gomerae

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