Redescription and molecular characterization of Baruscapillaria spiculata (Nematoda: Capillariidae) parasitizing the Neotropic cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus from two Argentinian lagoons

Abstract

Two species of intestinal Capillariidae were hitherto known from the Neotropic cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus, Baruscapillaria spiculata (Freitas, 1933), and Baruscapillaria appendiculata (Freitas, 1933). The original descriptions are very short and brief, and further reports of both species are scarce and/or confusing. This paper provides a morphological redescription and molecular characterization, based on the partial 18S rDNA gene, of B. spiculata specimens parasitizing the Neotropic cormorant in two continental lagoons from Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Both morphological and morphometrical differences between B. spiculata and B. appendiculata are highlighted on the examination of available type material. Additionally, two previous reports of B. appendiculata from Mexico and Brazil are discussed. A phylogenetic analysis conducted on specimens of B. spiculata and 46 other capillariid isolates available from the GenBank demonstrated a sister-taxon relationship between our specimens and the type species of Baruscapillaria. But, at the same time, significant genetic distances between both taxa showed an interesting variability of the genus Baruscapillaria. The probable division of this genus into multiple genera could probably be confirmed through integrative studies including more species.

Systematic and parasite-host relationship by Baruscapillaria appendiculata in Phalacrocorax brasilianus collected from Marajó Island, State of Pará, Brazil

“…Later in his book, Moravec (2001) listed O. appendiculata as a synonym of B. appendiculata, the most current classification. However, we still find divergences regarding the nomenclature used in different studies (Monteiro et al, 2011;Garbin et al, 2021). The present study corroborates the identification of B. appendiculata parasitizing P. brasilianus, with the cloaca being the site of infection.…”

“…sp., A. paranalis forming the A1 subclade, which are parasites of mammals in Japan and Poland. B. obsignata and B. spiculata, which are parasites of chickens, pheasants, and ducks in Kagoshima and Yamaguchi in Japan, and cormorants in Argentina formed A2 subclade (Tamaru et al, 2015;Garbin et al, 2021). In the A2 subclade B. appendiculata of the present study formed a sister clade with B. spiculata having 0.010 of genetic distance (Table 1), although both present a host in common.…”

“…In the most recent study, Garbin et al (2021) redescribed B. spiculata in P. brasilianus from Argentina, with a spicular sheath marked by four distinct regularly patterned sections, subterminal cloacal opening and caudal end with a well-developed membranous bursa. In the present study was observed many morphological similarities with what was described by the authors above, such as the shape of the caudal end of the male.…”

“…Several studies on Baruscapillaria Moravec, 1982 of Phalacrocoracidae birds have been carried out and recorded. These include Baruscapillaria carbonis (Dubinin & Dubinina, 1940) in Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus) in the Czech Republic, and in Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Gmelin) in Chile (Moravec et al, 1994;Frantová, 2001;González-Acuña et al, 2020), B. jaenschi (Johnston & Mawson, 1945) in P. carbo, P. sulcirostris (Brandt), Microcarbo melanoleucos (Vieillot), P. fuscescens (Vieillot) in Australia, B. phalacrocoraxi (Borgarenko, 1975) in P. pygmeus (Pallas) in the Asia (Baruš & Sergejeva, 1990b;Johnston & Mawson, 1945), B. rudolphii Moravec, Scholz & Našincová, 1994 in P. carbo in South Moravia and the Czech Republic (Moravec et al, 1994;Moravec & Scholz, 2016), B. spiculata (Freitas, 1933) Moravec, 1982 in P. brasilianus in Argentina (Garbin et al, 2021). And in Brazil, Monteiro et al (2011) identified B. appendiculata Freitas, 1933 in P. brasilianus.…”

Large-scale genetic investigation of nematode diversity and their phylogenetic patterns in New Zealand's marine animals

“…6 ). Our phylogeny supports the monophyly of the genera Eucoleus and Capillaria as reported in previous studies using the 18S gene (Tamaru et al ., 2015 ; Borba et al ., 2019 ; Garbin et al ., 2021 ). The exception is Capillaria suis which appeared nested within Aonchotheca species, as in Borba et al .…”