Western North American Naturalist Volume 71 Number 2 Article 15 8-12-2011 Distribution of Entocytheridae (Crustacea: Ostracoda) in the northern prairies of North America and reports of opportunistic clitellate annelids on crayfish hosts Bronwyn W. Williams University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, [email protected] Kathryn L. Williams University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, [email protected] Stuart R. Gelder University of Maine at Preque Isla, Presque Isla, Maine, [email protected] Heather C. Proctor University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Part of the Anatomy Commons, Botany Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Williams, Bronwyn W.; Williams, Kathryn L.; Gelder, Stuart R.; and Proctor, Heather C. (2011) "Distribution of Entocytheridae (Crustacea: Ostracoda) in the northern prairies of North America and reports of opportunistic clitellate annelids on crayfish hosts," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 71 : No. 2 , Article 15. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol71/iss2/15 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Western North American Naturalist 71(2), © 2011, pp. 276–282 DISTRIBUTION OF ENTOCYTHERIDAE (CRUSTACEA: OSTRACODA) IN THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES OF NORTH AMERICA AND REPORTS OF OPPORTUNISTIC CLITELLATE ANNELIDS ON CRAYFISH HOSTS Bronwyn W. Williams1,3, Kathryn L. Williams1, Stuart R. Gelder2, and Heather C. Proctor1 ABSTRACT.—Northern crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870), were collected from 89 sites across Alberta, Saskatche - wan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The entocytherid ostracod Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943) was found on O. virilis at 45 of the 89 sites, distributed primarily in the eastern and southern portion of the study area. These observations of T. riojai greatly extend the known range of the species. The widespread distribution of T. riojai suggests that the dearth of entocytherid records from other parts of Canada is a result of nontargeted sampling rather than true absence. In addition, we report on observations of 3 noteworthy associations of oligochaetes with their crayfish hosts. RESUMEN.—Se colectaron especímenes del acocil Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870) en 89 sitios a lo largo de Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota y Minnesota. Encontramos el ostracódo entocitérido Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943) en O. virilis en 45 de los 89 sitios, distribuidos principalmente en la parte sur y la parte este del área de estudio. Estas observaciones de T. riojai amplían considerablemente el área de distribución conocida de esta especie. La distribución extensa de T. riojai sugiere que la escasez de registros de entocitéridos en otras partes de Canadá es el resul- tado del muestreo inespecífico y no de una ausencia verdadera. Además, reportamos observaciones de 3 asociaciones sobre- salientes entre los oligoquetos y los acociles huéspedes. Entocytheridae is a family of ostracods that (Delorme 1970d, Hart and Hart 1974). No fur- are obligate ectosymbionts of other crustaceans ther contributions to the knowledge of ento- ranging across southern central Europe, south - cytherid ostracods in Canada have been made ern India, Australasia, and North America (Hart since. and Hart 1974). Two entocytherid subfamilies Similarly, reports of entocytherids are lack- have been described from North America: (1) ing from large areas of the northern Great Plains Entocytherinae, commensal on freshwater cray- of the United States, including Montana and fishes of the families Astacidae and Cambaridae North Dakota. Representatives of another group and on one species of freshwater crab, Pseudo - of cray fish ectosymbionts, branchiobdellidans or thelphusa veracruzana Rodriquez and Smalley, crayfish worms, were recently discovered in the 1970; and (2) Sphaeromicolinae, commensal on Prairie Provinces of Canada (Williams et al. freshwater isopods of the family Cirolanidae 2009) and in Montana and North Dakota (B.W. (Hart and Hart 1974). The known distribution of Williams unpublished observation). The wide entocytherids in North America extends from distribution of these worms suggests that the Cuba and Mexico north to a boundary that prior dearth of reports was due to lack of tar- approximates to the United States–Canada bor- geted sampling. Therefore, it is likely that other der (reviewed in Hart and Hart 1974). Despite crayfish-associated organisms, including ento- widespread occurrence of several potential cytherid ostracods, have also gone unnoticed host crayfish species (e.g., Crocker and Barr across the region. 1968, Taylor et al. 1996, Hamr 1998, Hamr 2002, The aim of the current study is to document Williams et al. 2011), few published rec ords of the distribution of entocytherid ostracods associ- entocytherids exist in Canada. The de scription ated with crayfish hosts in the Prairie Provinces of Entocythere insignipes (Sars, 1926) was the of Canada, with additional reports from Mon- sole report from the country until 1970, when tana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. We also Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943) was found provide information on incidental, yet notable, on crayfish collected in the Swan River near observations of 3 additional taxa associated with the town of Swan River in western Manitoba crayfish hosts. 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada. 2Department of Science and Math, University of Maine at Presque Isle, 181 Main Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769. 3E-mail: [email protected] 276 2011] NOTES 277 Fig. 1. Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870) sampling sites in the northern prairies of North America (Alberta, AB; Saskatchewan, SK; Manitoba, MB; Montana, MT; North Dakota, ND; Minnesota, MN) showing detection (shaded circles) and nondetection (open squares) of the entocytherid ostracod Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943). Inset map delineates the study area in North America. Site numbers correspond to information provided in the appendix. Northern crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen, Mexico ocean watersheds. We used a dissecting 1870), were collected as part of an ongoing popu- microscope to examine the external surface and lation genetics study. A subset of specimens branchial chambers of each crayfish and the previously examined for branchiobdellidans debris at the bottom of sampling containers for (Wil liams et al. 2009; Appendix) were reexam- presence of entocytherid ostracods. Entocy - ined for entocytherid ostracods. Additional cray- therids were transferred to separate containers fish were collected by hand, by kick-netting, or of 95% ethanol for preservation and storage. in Gee minnow traps (Wildlife Supply Company, Representative entocytherids were dehydrated Buffalo, NY) deployed for up to 24 hours. The in 100% ethanol, cleared in methyl salicylate, size of entrance holes in the minnow traps was infiltrated with Canada balsam, and mounted increased to approximately 60 mm to allow ac - on glass slides to museum standards. Species cess by adult crayfish. Crayfish were preserved identification was made using the keys and individually in containers of 95% ethanol. information in Hart and Hart (1974). Slide We examined a total of 1376 crayfish col- mounts were deposited in the New Brunswick lected from 89 sites across Alberta, Saskatche - Museum, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, wan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, and as catalogue numbers NBM-007156–007160. Minnesota between August 2006 and October Entocytherid ostracods were found at 50.1% 2010 (Fig. 1, Appendix). The study area included (45 of 89) of surveyed sites (Fig. 1, Appendix) portions of the Arctic, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North 278 WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST [Volume 71 Dakota, and Minnesota. Entocytherids were Texas and Louisiana north through the northern attached to setae along the abdomen; around Great Plains and western Great Lakes states, legs, maxillipeds, bases of antennae, and chelae; and into the eastern and central Prairie Prov - and under the rostrum of their crayfish hosts. inces (Hart and Hart 1974). Detections of T. rio- Thermastrocythere riojai was the only species of jai at sites on the Winnipeg River in Manitoba entocytherid ostracod found. (sites 67, 68) and Lake of the Woods in Min- During our study, we observed additional nesota (site 88) indicate that the species may also organisms associated with O. virilis. The findings be present in adjoining waterways of southwest- of 3 of these organisms are noteworthy, as all ern Ontario. represent previously unreported associations. An It is important to note that the crayfish from enchytraeid oligochaete was found in the gill Swan River harboring T. riojai had been identi- chamber of an O. virilis specimen collected from fied as the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus Nose Creek in Calgary, Alberta (site 32; Fig. 1). (Girard, 1852) (Delorme 1970d). Originating Although enchytraeids are usually free-living, from areas of north central North America Lumbricillus catanensis (Drago, 1887) has been (Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michi- reported in