A Visitor of Tropical Waters: First Record of a Clymene Dolphin (Stenella clymene) Off the Patagonian Coast of Argentina, With Comments on Diet and Metazoan Parasites

Abstract

The poorly known Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene) is a small oceanic cetacean distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In this study, we report, for the first time, a vagrant individual of Clymene dolphin in Argentina (Rada Tilly) that represents the current southern-most record for this cetacean species. We provide a molecular identification of the dolphin, based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, generated from DNA extracted from its metazoan parasites. Three prey species, namely Argentine hake, Patagonian squid and lobster krill were identified from hard pieces collected in the stomach. Seven metazoan parasite taxa (three in adult stage, one immature stage and three in larval stage) were identified using morphological and molecular data, i.e., the digenean Pholeter gastrophilus (new host record), the cestodes Tetrabothrius (Tetrabothrius) forsteri, Clistobothrium grimaldii unidentified phyllobothriid plerocercoids, the nematodes Anisakis pegreffii (new host record), Halocercus delphini and the acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe (new host record). Our study provides the first molecular exploration of the metazoan parasite diversity in delphinids from the southwestern Atlantic, and contributes significantly to understand the poorly known parasite fauna of the Clymene dolphin.

Review of the concept of Profilicollis Meyer, 1931 with a description of Profilicollis rancoensis n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) from the freshwater crab, Aegla abtao Schmitt, 1942 (Decapoda: Anomura) in Chile, with a key to congeneric species

“… Homo sapiens Japan LC377776 – Kaito et al [2019] [ 34 ] Bolbosoma sp. Callorhinus ursinus Alaska, USA JX442190 JX442167 García-Varela et al [2013] [ 22 ] Corynosoma bullosum Mirouga leonina King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula OP142751 – Not published Corynosma bullosum Mirounga leonina King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula – OQ192986 Not published Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 Stenella clymene Argentina MW724483 – García-Varela et al [2013] [ 22 , 30 ] Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 Phocarctos hookeri New Zealand – JX442168 García-Varela et al [2013] [ 22 …”

Climate change and cetacean health: impacts and future directions

“…For example, the abundance of Bryde's whales ( Balaenoptera edeni ) increased between 2000 and 2010 in the Southern California Bight (USA), which was probably driven by prey availability [45]. Similarly, unusual sightings of Clymene dolphins ( Stenella clymene ) have been recorded on the northern coast of Spain [46], the Patagonian Coast (Argentina) [47] and the Brazilian coast [48], outside their usual habitat in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Range shifts are believed to correlate with habitat expansion, leading to a functional feeding response of cetacean species to changes in the marine environment [40].…”