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A Molecular Phylogenetic Study of the Eye Fluke Philophthalmus lacrymosus (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae) Found in Larus dominicanus (Aves: Laridae) from Brazil

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Abstract

Purpose

Species of the genus Philophthalmus are eye flukes with a complex taxonomy, which began to be improved with the help of molecular data only recently. However, most described species have never been placed into a phylogenetic context. In this study, eye flukes previously found on kelp gulls, Larus dominicanus, from Brazil and identified as Philophthalmus lacrymosus were subjected to molecular analysis.

Methods

For the molecular analyses, we analyzed parasites found in six infected gulls (one worm per bird) collected from different municipalities of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We carried out the amplification and sequencing of the partial region of the 28S and cox1 genes and the data obtained were compared with sequences available to philophthalmid species and subjected to phylogenetic analysis.

Results

The isolates of P. lacrymosus from Brazil grouped in well-supported clades with five other species of Philophthalmus with sequences available for comparison. Interspecific divergences of 0.1–1.6% in 28S and 8.2–14.9% in cox1 were found in relation to other isolates of Philophthalmus spp. Two cox1 haplotypes differing in one nucleotide (0.1%) were found between the six eye flukes isolates in gulls from different localities. The Brazilian isolates grouped in a subclade with parasites identified as P. lacrymosus in Portugal; however, the molecular divergences found in cox1 (8.2–8.5%) strongly suggest that these isolates belong to different species. The phylogenetic trees obtained and the intergeneric divergences to species of the genera Cloacitrema and Parorchis did not support the validity of the genus Natterophthalmus, for which P. lacrymosus was proposed as the type species in the past.

Conclusion

As P. lacrymosus was described from Brazil, we recommend that this name be applied to the South American isolates and that the Portuguese isolates be provisionally considered as Philophthalmus sp., a probable cryptic species. Moreover, data obtained supports the previous morphology-based synonymizing between Natterophthalmus and Philophthalmus. Considering our results and most of previous reports of P. lacrymosus in South America, we suggest this species presents a marine life cycle.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the Marine Animals Stabilization Unit of the University of the Itajaí Valley (UNIVALI) in the city of Penha, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Thanks are due to Dr Valentin Radev, National Diagnostic Research Veterinary Medical Institute, Bulgaria, for kindly sending us some specialized literature.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES, Brazil) (student scholarship to ATS), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil (postdoctoral scholarship to DLH, and research scholarship to HAP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Biologia de Trematoda, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil

    Danimar López Hernández & Hudson Alves Pinto

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

    André Tavares Somma, Thállitha Samih Wischral Jayme Vieira & Fabiano Montiani-Ferreira

  3. Unidade de Estabilização de Animais Marinhos de Penha, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Praia de Armação do Itapocorói, Penha, Brazil

    Adriane Steuernagel

  4. College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Bret Moore

  5. Departament of Basic Pathology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

    Larissa Reifur

Authors
  1. Danimar López Hernández
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Correspondence to Hudson Alves Pinto.

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All authors have declared no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures involving the infected birds were in compliance with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research and were approved by the Animal Use Committee of the Federal University of Paraná.

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Hernández, D.L., Somma, A.T., Steuernagel, A. et al. A Molecular Phylogenetic Study of the Eye Fluke Philophthalmus lacrymosus (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae) Found in Larus dominicanus (Aves: Laridae) from Brazil. Acta Parasit. 69, 1027–1034 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-023-00738-2

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