Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1967 Studies on the Systematics and Life History of Polymorphous Altmani (Perry). John Edward Karl Jr Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Karl, John Edward Jr, "Studies on the Systematics and Life History of Polymorphous Altmani (Perry)." (1967). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1341. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1341 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 67-17,324 KARL, Jr., John Edward, 1928- STUDIES ON THE SYSTEMATICS AND LIFE HISTORY OF POLYMORPHUS ALTMANI (PERRY). Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1967 Zoology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © John Edward Karl, Jr. 1 9 6 8 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. -STUDIES o n t h e systematics a n d LIFE HISTORY OF POLYMQRPHUS ALTMANI (PERRY) A Dissertation 'Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agriculture and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology and Physiology by John Edward Karl, Jr, Mo S«t University of Kentucky, 1953 August, 1967 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A cknowledgement The writer hereby gratefully acknowleges the encouragement and guidance of Dr0 Harry J. Bennett, under whose direction the present study was conducted. Appreciation is extended to Dr, Elmer R, Noble of the University of California (Santa Barbara Campus) and to Dr, Robert T, Orr of the California Academy of Sciences Museum in San Francisco for aid in identifying host material© Special thanks are due to Dr, Wilbur L, Bullock (University of New Hampshire), Dr© R, M© Cable (Purdue University), Dr, David R, Lincicome (Howard University), and Dr, Helen L, Ward (University of Tennessee) for confirming the identification of parasites© Gratitude is also extended to Mr0 Alfred Blaker (University of California, Berkeley) for his assistance with the photographic work; Mrs, Emily Reid (University of California, Berkeley) for helping with the figures and plates; and to my wife, Cathy, for helping with the collecting and laboratory work and for her constant encouragement and typing of this dissertation. To these and all others who have given help during this study, the writer wishes to express deepest appreciation© ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABUS OF CONTENTS Page Io INTRODUCTION.......................... ................ 1 II. MATERIALS AND METHODS...................................... 6 III. SYSTEMATIC SECTION.......................... 17 Redeseriptlon of Polymorphus altmanl ................ 2k Redescription of P. (Falsifilicolli.s’) texensis ..... 26 Emended Description of P. altmani ................. 29 Intraspecific Variation of Adult .................... 31 Description of Egg, Acanthor and Embryonic Envelopes •• 33 Description of Hatched Acanthor ..........b»..••••••.•. 3k Description of Acanthella............. 35 Description of Qystacanth.................. 37 Intrapopulation Variation of Qystacanths ............. kO IV. OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION............... k9 Acanthocephala from Hosts I- V H .................... k$ Acanthocephala from Hosts VIII-XIV ........ 50 Acanthocephala from Hosts XV-XXI ........... 50 Acanthocephala from Hosts XX H - X X V I I I ......... 51 Acanthocephala from Hosts XXIX-XXXV ....... •••••• 51 Acanthocephala from Hosts XXXVI-XLIII ............... 52 Average Daily Egg Production per Individual Female of P. altmani........................................ 52 Acanthocephala Recovered from Six Heavily Infected Experimental Ducklings............................ 53 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Page Aeanthors Recovered from Experimentally Infected Sand Crabs .... 53 Description of Polvmorphus pacificus n. sp. ........... 58 Intraspecific Variation of P8 pacificus n. sp. ........ 6l Description of Corynosoma pencicillatus n. sp....... 65 Discussion and Description of Macracanthorhynchus ingens .................................... 69 V. CHROMATOGRAPHY SECTION................................. 72 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION .... 77 VII. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS FOR P L A T E S....................... 81 VIII. ILLUSTRATIONS ....... 82 IX. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................ 21k iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABI£S Table Page I. The average number of specimens of Polvmorphus altmani recovered by the writer from each naturally infected host ................. ,........ ........... ............ IIo Dimensional comparisons of males of P. altmani from heavily infected experimental hosts with the mature male of P . (Fo) texensis * .......................... h2 IIIo Dimensional comparisons of females of P. altmani from heavily infected experimental hosts with the mature female of P. (F») texensis .................... ^3 IVo Dimensional comparisons of males of P 0 altmani from lightly infected hosts with the mature male of P. (F.) texensis .... W V. Dimensional comparisons of females of P. altmani from lightly infected experimental hosts with the mature female of P. (F.) texensis....... 4-5 VIo Humber of specimens of P. altmani recovered from each experimental definitive host ................... 55 VII. Average daily egg production per individual female of P. altmani.................................. 56 VIII. Dimensional comparisons of males of Polvmorphus pacificus n. sp., with males of P. altmani and P. CF.J texensis ...... 62 IX. Dimensional comparisons of females of P. pacificus n 0 sp., with females of P. altmani and P. (F.) texensis .... 63 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TEXT5FIGURES Text figure Page Io Adults of Polymorphus altmani. number of hooks in adjacent rows 0o...• ....•. •........»................ 46 II* Adults of Po altmani. number of rows of hooks per proboscis ................................. 46 III* Adults of Po altmani. variation in length of lemnisci ... 47 IV• Adults of Po altmania variation in length of cement glands •••••• ^7 V. Cystacanths of P0 altmani. number of hooks in adjacent rows ................ W VI. Cystacanths of P. altmani. number of hooks per pro­ boscis ...................... W VIIo Adults of P. pacificus n« sp., number of hooks in adjacent rows ........................................ 64 VIIIo Adults of P. pacificus n. sp.t number of rows of hooks per proboscis ...................... 64 H e Amino acid chromatograms of acanthella. cystacanth, and adult of P. altmani..................................... 75 X. Amino acid chromatograms of P. altmani. P. pacificus n0 sp.f Corynosoma pencicillatus n. sp.t and Macracan- thorhynchus ingens *...................... 76 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Plate Page I. Polymorphus altmani, adult male and female ............. 83 II* P* altmani, adult male reproductive system......... 85 III* Po altmani. adult female reproductive system and acanthor ............................. ..... ....... 87 IV* P. altmani. variation in shape of proboscis from cystacanth to a d u l t ................ 89 V* P. altmani. hatched acanthors 0............... ..........* 91 VI, P. altmani. acanthellae ..... 93 VII* P, altmani. male cystacanth.......... 95 VIII. P. altmani. female cystacanth....... *........ 97 IX* P* altmani. young male and female recovered from experi­ mental definitive host on ?th day of infection ........ 99 X. P. altmani. young male recovered from experimental definitive host on 10th day of infection ..... 101 XI* P* pacificus n* sp,, adult male and reproductive system ..... ...................... ...*........ 103 XII* P. pacificus n* sp., adult female and reproductive system................ 105 X U I . P. botulus, adult male and female .......... 10? XIV. Corynosoma pencicillatus n. sp., adult male, and proboscis ..... 109 XV* C* pencicillatus n* sp*, adult female, reproductive system, and acanthor ...... Ill XVI* Macracanthorhynchus irgens. adult male .................... 113 vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to establish the identity of acantho- cephalan acanthors, acanthellae , and cystacanths parasitic in the sand crab Bmerita analoga (Stimpson). By studying the development of the cystacanths into the adult parasites in laboratory birds, the life history of Polymorphus altmani (Perry, 1942) Van Cleave, 1947, was es­ tablished experimentally. Sand crabs and aquatic birds