The influence of climate on the distribution of monogeneans of anurans in Nigeria

Abstract

Investigations undertaken on the monogeneans of amphibians in Nigeria have shown that host ecology has an influence on the distribution of these monogeneans. Amphibians from humid environments of the rainforest, a freshwater swamp and mangrove harboured no monogeneans, whereas those occurring in drier conditions in the savannah-mosaic and guinea savannah yielded five species of polystomatid parasites: Polystoma prudhoei from Bufo regularis, Polystoma galamensis from Rana galamensis, Eupolystoma alluaudi from Bufo regularis and Bufo maculatus, and two unidentified Polystoma species from Bufo regularis and Ptychadena oxyrynchus, respectively. Some of these monogeneans appear to have reproduction cycles which are synchronized with those of the hosts. The prevalence of E. alluaudi in Bufo spp. caught in New Bussa (68.4% in B. regularis and 82.3% in B. maculatus) were higher than those reported for this parasite in other locations in West Africa and for Eupolystoma anterorchis in Bufo pardalis from the Cape Flats of South Africa.

Parasitic infections of anurans from a freshwater creek community in Delta State, Niger Delta of Nigeria

“…recovered from H. galamensis represent a new geographical record for Nigeria, this cestode has been reported elsewhere by other investigators (Goldberg et al, 2001;McKenzie, 2007). Until now, Polystoma galamensis was thought to be restricted to frogs from the savannah biotope (Aisien et al, 2004b) but its fi nding in Ase, albeit in very low prevalence changes the ecological restriction earlier ascribed to this parasite. chis and M. micrurus in the same host in Nigeria.…”

Polystoma okomuensisn. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from Boulenger's striped frog,Phlyctimantis boulengeri(Perret, 1986) in Nigeria

“…Tinsley & Jackson (1998) reported another polystome from this region, namely Protopolystoma occidentalis from Xenopus muelleri . Recently Aisien et al (2003, 2004a, b, 2009) reported on other polystomes from Nigeria. Apart from Protopolystoma , other polystomes known from Nigeria include Polystoma prudhoei Saoud, 1967 from Amietophrynus regularis , P. galamensis Euzet, Bourgat & Salami-Cadoux, 1974 from Rana galamensis , Eupolystoma alluaudi (de Beauchamp, 1913) from Amietophrynus regularis and A. maculatus , Metapolystoma cachani Gallien, 1956 from Ptychadena longirostris , and unidentified Polystoma spp.…”

Risk and protection strategies of Amolops wuyiensis intestine against gastrointestinal nematode (Cosmocercoides wuyiensis n. sp.) infection

“…Previous studies have shown that the decline in amphibian populations may be related to parasitic infections (Johnson et al ., 1999; Aisien et al ., 2004; Cynthya and Hamann, 2015). Infections of amphibians by nematodes of the Cosmocercoides family are relatively common (Cynthya and Hamann, 2015; Liu et al ., 2019a).…”

“…In recent decades, parasites have had increasing effects on amphibian populations (Johnson et al ., 1999; Johnson and Chase, 2004). Some studies have suggested that a link exists between parasitic infections and the decline in amphibian populations (Johnson et al ., 1999; Aisien et al ., 2004; Cynthya and Hamann, 2015). Furthermore, higher food availability can provide more immune resources to improve host resistance to parasitic infections (Sternberg et al ., 2012; Howick and Lazzaro, 2014; Knutie et al ., 2017).…”