First description of the male and redescription of the female of Paratrichosomarecurvum (Nematoda: Capillariidae), a skin-invading parasite of crocodiles in Mexico

Abstract

The first description of the male and a redescription of the female of the nematode Paratrichosoma recurvum (Solger, 1877), a parasite of the abdominal skin of crocodiles, are presented on the basis of specimens collected from Crocodilus moreletii Duméril et Bibron from the Lagoon of Celestún, Yucatan, Mexico. The morphology of P. recurvum proved to be very similar to that of the only other congeneric species, P. crocodylus Ashford et Muller, 1978, but the former differed from the latter in having distinctly protruding polar plugs on eggs, reduced mesenchymal cells at the esophagointestinal junction, and a smooth spicular surface as well as in geographic distribution. The finding of P. recurvum in C. moreletii represents a new host record. Paratrichosoma spp. appear to be widely distributed in tropical countries of different continents and may be of economic importance for crocodile farms.

Infestación y distribución corporal de sanguijuelas en el cocodrilo americano (Crocodylus acutus Cuvier 1807) (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) del estero La Ventanilla, Oaxaca, México

“…del género Paratrichosoma, (Webb & Messel 1977, Webb & Manolis 1983, Montague 1984, Moravec & Vargas-Vázquez 1998, Rainwater et al 2001, Seijas 2007. Respecto a las sanguijuelas, Montague (1984) reporta la presencia de estas en Crocodylus novaeguineae, mencionando que la infestación por sanguijuelas está fuertemente correlacionada con el sitio de captura.…”

External injuries of Morelet’s crocodile Crocodylus moreletii in Campeche, Mexico

“…Paratrichosoma crocodylus is the nematode species that has been reported in several species of crocodilians both in the wild (Webb & Messel 1977, Montague 1984, Seijas 2007 and in captivity (Fogging 1987, Buenviaje et al 1998, Huchzermeyer 2003. P. recurvum was first described and reported in C. moreletii by Moravec & Vargas-Vázquez (1998) from crocodiles captured in the Celestún lagoon, 50 km north of the area (same Petenes ecosystem) where this study took place. Thus, we assume that the larva migrans skin lesions (Fig.…”

“…The nematode P. recurvum was first reported in Crocodylus moreletii in Yucatán, Mexico (Moravec & Vargas-Vázquez 1998) and can be found mostly in the ventral region of the animals, causing zigzag tracks on the skin. Montague (1984) suggests that low body weight in C. novaeguineae is related to the incidence of this parasite.…”

“…In crocodilians, some external parasites have been reported, such as leeches, ticks and nematodes of the genus Paratrichosoma (Webb & Messel 1977, Webb & Manolis 1983, Montague 1984, Buenviaje et al 1998, Moravec & Vargas-Vázquez 1998, Rainwater et al 2001, Seijas 2007. The nematode P. recurvum was first reported in Crocodylus moreletii in Yucatán, Mexico (Moravec & Vargas-Vázquez 1998) and can be found mostly in the ventral region of the animals, causing zigzag tracks on the skin.…”

Dujardinascaris helicina (Nematoda: Ascarididae) parásito de Crocodylus acutus (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) en Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México

“…Se trata de un nemátodo común en cocodrilos de agua dulce y agua salada: C. acutus, C. moreletii y C. rhombifer (Groschaft y Baruš, 1970;Moravec, 2001). En México, esta especie fue registrada con alta prevalencia y abundancia en el tracto digestivo de C. moreletii de Yucatán (Moravec, 2001) y en un ejemplar de C. moreletii en Quintana Roo (Villegas y Gonzáles-Solís, 2009), las investigaciones se han centrado principalmente en C. moreletii (Álvarez-del Toro, 1974;Moravec, 2001;Moravec y Vargas-Vázquez, 1998;Sprent, 1977). Los únicos estudios que en C. acutus se han realizado en el sur del país, en Quintana Roo (Villegas y González-Solís, 2009) y Río Verde, Oaxaca (Peláez y Cruz, 1953).…”