Spirorchiids (family Spirorchiidae Stunkard 1921) are a group of trematodes that inhabit the circulatory and lymphatic system of turtles. The family has approximately 100 species grouped into 19 genera, ten of which are parasites of sea turtles (Smith 1997, Platt, 2002). The genus
The aim of the present note was to report the occurrence of the forth specimen of
In August 2015, a juvenile green sea turtle (curved carapace length: 37.0 cm) was discovered in Mangue Seco in the state of Bahia on the northeastern coast of Brazil (11° 31’ 24.924”S and 37° 23’ 57.948”W). The turtle was found dead on the beach with diffuse algae distributed on the carapace as well as eggs from a leech
Necropsy revealed hypotrophy, paleness and a gelatinous consistency of the pectoral muscle as well as blackish spots measuring one mm in diameter with multifocal distribution, concentrated more in the small intestine and to a lesser degree in the large intestine. The heart was examined using the method simplified by Werneck
The helminths were found dead and fixed in a 70% ethanol, stained with carmine and cleared with eugenol. Morphometric data were acquired with the aid of an image analysis program (ImageJ, National Institutes of Health). Drawings were made using a drawing tube. The helminths were deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Biosciences Institute (CHIBB), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil (
Morphometric data, in millimeters, of
Variables | Simha & Chattopadyaya (1970) | Werneck | Presente report |
---|---|---|---|
Camp Mandapam Gulf of Manar, Índia | Barra Nova Beach, State of Ceará, Brazil | Mangue Seco, state of Bahia, Brazil | |
Heart | Heart | Heart | |
1 | 1 | 1 | |
3.96 | 2.86 | 2.85 | |
Legend: at the level to cecal bifurcation | 0.81 | 0.55 | 0.54 |
at the level to anterior testis | - | - | 0.44 |
0.17 | 0.16 | 0.11 | |
0.16 | 0.14 | 0.09 | |
0.25 | 0.32 | 0.29 | |
- | 0.23 | 0.29 | |
1.17 | 0.97 | 1.01 | |
- | - | 0.079 | |
0.58 | 0.31 | 0.35 | |
0.51 | 0.31 | 0.25 | |
0.26 | 0.20 | 0.13 | |
0.27 | 0.17 | 0.25 | |
0.23 | 0.18 | 0.11 | |
- | 0.091 | 0.083 | |
0.22 | 0.26 | 0.16 | |
- | - | 0.066 | |
0.32 | 0.14 | 0.22 | |
0.30 | 0.13 | 0.15 | |
- | - | 0.45 | |
- | - | 1.1 | |
- | - | 0.12 |
Description (Fig. 1 and 2): Parasite small, with tapered anterior extremity (Fig. 2A) and slightly rounded posterior extremity (Fig. 2F), marked constriction in equatorial region (Fig. 2B) and small spines covering entire body; Oral sucker subterminal, esophagus long, sinuous and ending in a ceca bifurcation, ceca loop anteriorly then turn posteriorly (Fig. 2A and 2B); Ceca run parallel to side of body curvemediad at level of acetabulum, returning to lateral region of body when approaching anterior testis (Fig. 2C), terminating blindly posterior to posterior testis and anterior to excretory vesicle; Acetabulum rounded (Fig. 2B), positioned in equatorial region, coinciding with body constriction; Two testes, anterior testis larger and sinuous, resembling an S shape (Fig. 2C), posterior testis smaller and slightly oval in shape (Fig. 2D); Ovary lobulate, intercecal and located between cirrus sac and posterior testis (Fig. 2D – E); External seminal vesicle small, oval and intracecal, located posterior to anterior testis, in transverse position in relation to body (Fig. 2F); Cirrus sac elongate and immediately anterior to ovary, diagonal to body and (where visualization was possible) ventral to ovary, terminating in genital pore near posterior edge of ovary (Fig. 2F); Vitelline reservoir easily visible (Fig. 2D), occupying area between ovary and posterior testis; Excretory vesicle V-shaped; Vitellarium (Fig.1 and 2B – F) composed of small follicles that run from cecal bifurcation to region of posterior testis and interrupted in region of ovary, ventral to cecae; Uterus (Fig. 2F – black arrow) with tubular structure occupying area lateroposterior to ovary, with trajectory turned toward medial region of body, at which point increasing in diameter, passing dorsally through the vitelline reservoir and terminating near region of genital pore; no eggs found.
(A) Oral sucker (black arrow) and esophagus (asterisk) (scale bar = 500 μm). (B) Intestinal bifucartion (black arrow) and acetabulum (asterisk) (scale bar = 250 μm). (C) Anterior testis (asterisk) (scale bar = 250 μm). (D) Dorsal view-Vitelline reservoir (black arrow) and posterior testis (asterisk) (scale bar = 200 μm). (E) Dorsal view-Ovary (black arrow) and posterior testis (asterisk) (scale bar= 200 μm). (F) Ventral view-Uterus (black arrow) and excretory vesicle (asterisk); ESV= external seminal vesicle, CS= Cirrus sac, OV= Ovary, PT= Posterior testis, VR= vitelline reservoir (scale bar = 250 μm)
Platt (2002) considered the genus
The morphometric analysis of the specimen revealed that the width of the acetabulum, dimensions of the oral sucker and external seminal vesicle, width of the anterior testis, length of the posterior testis and length of the cirrus sac were larger in comparison to previously published data (Table 1). Moreover, new data are presented herein on the width of the esophagus and cirrus sac as well as the distances from the genial pore and intestinal ceca to the posterior extremity and from the cecal bifurcation to the anterior extremity. However, such differences are not surprising, as this is only the third specimen of the species with known morphometric data and the findings merely reflect possible individual variation.
One of the most striking differences is the circular shape of the acetabulum, as also reported by Werneck
Based on the present findings,