Abstract
Cucullanus carettae Baylis, 1923 (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) is found worldwide in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Regarding the Mediterranean, C. carettae has been identified in the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Sea and a unique description of a Cucullanus sp. specimen in loggerheads from the Adriatic Sea has been reported in the literature so far. In the framework of a bio-monitoring project of the Abruzzo and Molise coasts, a parasitological survey was performed on stranded and by-caught sea turtles, at the Istituto Zooprofilattico of Abruzzo and Molise “G. Caporale.” During necropsy, the gastrointestinal system of 72 stranded loggerhead turtles was analyzed for the presence of endoparasites and fecal samples were collected for coprological examination. Adult C. carettae (n = 123) was found in the upper intestine of one loggerhead turtle, associated with chronic lymphoplasmocytic enteritis. Additionally, five stool samples (6.9%) were positive for Cucullanus sp. eggs. Molecular characterization of adult nematodes was carried out to study phylogenetic relationships among the Cucullanus species. To our knowledge, this is the first morphological and molecular identification of C. carettae in loggerhead turtles from the Adriatic Sea. Additional studies on the distribution of this parasite in the Mediterranean are encouraged.
Highlights
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Adriatic Sea
Eggs of the genus Cucullanus were identified in line with currently available literature; adult parasites were observed under multiplexing optical microscopy (10×, 20×) after clarification in 10% glycerol and 70% alcohol solution and identified by descriptive tables available in the literature (Baylis 1923)
Phylogenetic trees were inferred by using the maximum likelihood method (500 replicates) based on the Kimura 2 + gamma distribution model for 18S and HasegawaKishino-Yano + gamma distribution model for cox1(Tamura and Nei 1993)
Summary
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Adriatic Sea. Few species of nematode parasites are recorded in this host, being most of its parasites represented by digeneans. Sulcascaris sulcata (Rudolphi, 1819) is found in the stomach of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea with 30% in neritic areas (Sey 1977; Santoro et al 2010a; Gračan et al 2012; Santoro et al 2019). Parasitol Res (2021) 120:341–345 of eggs, larvae, and adult nematodes, whenever morphological features are not available or are sufficient (Zhu et al 2007; Mattiucci and Nascetti 2008; Testini et al 2011; Marcer et al 2019). The first identification of C. carettae in loggerhead turtles in the Adriatic Sea is achieved using morphological and molecular approaches, by targeting both the ribosomal small subunit (18S) and the mitochondrial cox gene; phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cucullanus are investigated
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
