Forty-seven nesting green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were examined for parasitic pathogens. Four species of cardiovascular flukes (Digenea: Spirorchiidae), Learedius learedi, Hapalotrema postorchis, Monticellius indicum and Amphiorchis solus were collected from 39 of 40 of the turtles, and Neospirorchis species were identified in seven of the 47 by histological examination. The pathological changes associated with the spirorchiids and their eggs included aneurysms, arteritis of great vessels with dark nodular thickenings, endocarditis, haemorrhagic lesions, thrombi, vasculitis, and granulomatous reactions in all the turtles. Ozobranchus branchiatus (Hirudinea: Ozobranchidae) leeches were found on the skin of 27 of the 47 turtles and were associated with traumatic purulent and ulcerative dermatitis. Oesophagitis associated with Rameshwarotrema uterocrescens (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) was recorded in 11 of 43 of the turtles. Petechial haemorrhages and unspecific crater-like ulcerated lesions on the gastric mucosa associated with Charaxicephaloides species and Charaxicephalus robustus (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) were observed in four of 40 of the turtles. Cholycystitis and ectasia of mucosal glands associated with Rhytidodoides similis (Digenea: Rhytidodidae) were observed in one of the 47 turtles. Fibropapillomas were observed on the skin of one turtle and fibromas on the skin of two of them.
The digenetic community of 40 green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) was investigated at Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. In total, 24,270 trematodes belonging to 29 species and 6 families including Clinostomidae 1, Microscaphidiidae 5, Paramphistomidae 2, Pronocephalidae 15, Rhytidodidae 2, and Spirorchiidae 4 were recorded from chelonians examined. Turtles harbored a mean of 7.63 +/- 3.5 SD species. Only 3 species, i.e., Learedius learedi, Microscaphidium reticulare, and Pyelosomum cochlear, infected more than 50% of the hosts sampled. Learedius learedi was the most prevalent (97.5%) and the second most abundant species with a mean of 25.6 +/- 21.6 SD. Only 1 core species, M. reticulare, was recovered from the gastrointestinal tract; it was the most abundant parasite, with a mean intensity of 477 +/- 1,180 SD, and the second most prevalent (77.5%). Diversity values ranged from 0.10 to 2.10, with a mean of 1.00 +/- 0.43 SD for the total component community and from 0.10 to 1.84, with a mean of 0.79 +/- 0.41 SD, for the gastrointestinal component community. Species richness was the highest recorded from a sea turtle species. All digenetic species were recorded from Costa Rica for the first time. This represents the first report on the helminth community of the green turtle.
Helminth parasites of vertebrates have been studied in Costa Rica for more than 50 years. Survey work on this group of parasites is far from complete. We assembled a database with all the records of helminth parasites of wild and domestic vertebrates in Costa Rica. Information was obtained from different sources such as literature search (all published accounts) and parasite collections. Here we present a checklist with a parasitehost list as well as a host-parasite list. Up to now, 303 species have been recorded, including 81 species of digeneans, 23 monogeneans, 63 cestodes, 12 acanthocephalans, and 124 nematodes. In total, 108 species of vertebrates have been studied for helminths in Costa Rica (31 species of fishes, 7 amphibians, 14 reptiles, 20 birds, and 36 mammals). This represents only 3.8% of the vertebrate fauna of Costa Rica since about 2,855 species of vertebrates occur in the country. Interestingly, 58 species (19.1 %) were recorded as new species from Costa Rica and most of them are endemic to particular regions. Considering the valuable information that parasites provide because it is synergistic with all the information about the natural history of the hosts, helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica should be considered within any initiatives to accomplish the national inventory of biological resources. Starting with this compilation work, the Colección de Helmintos de Costa Rica (CHCR), hosted at the Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, has re-emerged and it is our hope that it will have the standards of quality to assure that it will become the national depository of helminths in the country.
Monticellius indicum Mehra, 1939, is redescribed from the heart of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Tortuguero National Park, Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Of the 40 green turtles examined, only 5 (12.5%) were infected with a mean intensity of 1.6. Our specimens are consistent with the original description based on a single fluke from the heart of the same host species in the Arabian Sea, Pakistan, but our redescription provides an unreported range of variation while adding new information about acetabulum structure and egg morphology.
SummaryCharaxicephaloides polyorchis Groschaft and Tenora, 1978 is redescribed on the basis of specimens collected from the stomach of green turtles Chelonia mydas in Costa Rica. Our specimens are consistent with the original description which was based on four flukes from the same host species from the northwest coast of Cuba. Our redescription provides a new range of variations and adds new information on this species. This represents only the second record of C. polyorchis in green turtles.
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