Parasitic nematodes from turtles: New species and new record from Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: To describe the morphological characteristics of some species of parasitic nematodes found in freshwater turtles from Sumatera (Amyda cartilaginea) and Kalimantan (Notochelys platynota). Methods: Specimens for light microscopy examination were fixed with warm 70% alcohol, cleared and mounted in lactophenol for stout specimens and glycerine for delicate specimens, prior to wet mounting. Drawings were made with the aid of a drawing tube attached to an Olympus compound microscope. Specimens for scanning electron microscope examination were fixed in cacodylate buffer and glutaraldehyde, dehydrated in alcohol concentration series, dried in vacuum dried and coated with gold in Eiko-IB2 Ion Coater. Measurements were given in micrometers as the mean followed by the range in parentheses, unless otherwise stated. Results: Four species of parasitic nematodes were found, namely, Monhysterides jambiensis sp. n. (M. jambiensis), Spiroxys sumatraensis sp. n. (S. sumatraensis), Cissophyllus laverani and Cissophyllus roseus. M. jambiensis differed from Monhysterides lissemydis in ratio of right-to-left spicule (1:3 in M. jambiensis vs. 1:3.8–5.6 in M. lissemydis) and had no gubernaculum. M. jambiensis also differed from Monhysterides testudinicola in longer spicule (11.2%–12.7% in M. jambiensis vs. 5.6%–6% of body length), ratio right-to-left spicule (1:3 in M. jambiensis vs. 1:2) and the numbers of caudal papillae and differed from Monhysterides testudinicola because of the lateral alae began from the half posterior of body, but that in M. jambiensis began from anterior part of body, behind the anterior end. S. sumatraensis differed from Spiroxys annulatus in having tooth at median lobe and having no well mark cuticular collar behind the based of lips and constriction at the base of pseudolabium was not pronounced. S. sumatraensis differed from Spiroxys transversalata in having no tooth at median lobes of each pseudolabium and differed from Spiroxys chelodinae in the unpaired position of median caudal papillae since it was more anterior than that of Spiroxys jambiensis. Additionally there was no adanal papillae in the male of Spiroxys chelodynae. S. sumatraensis also differed from Spiroxys ankarafantsika in having double papillae on each pseudolabium, more anterior of deirid and longer spicule (9.5%–12.4% vs. 6% of body length in Spiroxys ankarafantsika). Two species of Cissophyllus morphologically were agreed with its previous species. Conclusions: Monhysterides spp. are found in Oriental region turtle, suborder Cryptodira, and there is no report from others zoogeographical regions. S. sumatraensis belonging to Group 2 includes three other species. This group was found in Oriental, Australian and Ethiopian, Spiroxys presumably widespread amongst the species of turtle when Gondwanaland existed. Cissophyllus laverani is a new record in Indonesia. Article history: Received 22 Apr 2015 Received in revised form 6 May 2015 Accepted 5 Jun 2015 Available online 10 Jul 2015