Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digenea parasites of jellyfish and ctenophores of the southern Atlantic

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Parasites of planktonic cnidarians and ctenophores in the southern Atlantic Ocean are little known. The aim of this study was to describe three new metacercariae from jellyfish and ctenophores, and assess the importance of the gelatinous zooplankton as intermediate hosts in the life history of digeneans. During examination of zooplankton in Argentine Sea for digeneans that mature in fishes, two species of jellyfish (Phialidium sp. and Liriope tetraphylla Chamiso & Eysenhardt, 1821), and one ctenophore (Mnemiopsis mccradyi Mayer, 1900) were analyzed for parasites. The samples were obtained in Mar del Plata. Three metacercariae belonging to Faustulidae, Lepocreadiidae and Hemiuridae are described. The prevalence (percent of hosts infected) varied from 1.4–30% and the range of intensity (number of individuals of a parasite species in a single infected host) was from 1 to 30 for the different metacercariae. Given the important position of free-swimming cnidarians and ctenophores in the marine food web, and the great number of fishes that have been found with these organisms in their digestive tracts, their importance in the life histories of digeneans should not be underrated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arai, M. N., 1988. Interactions of fish and pelagic coelenterates. Can. J. Zool. 66: 1913–1927.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ates, R. M., 1988. Medusivorous fishes, a review. Zool. Med. Leiden 62: 29–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bray, R. A., 1988. Discussion of the subfamily Baccigerinae Yamaguti, 1958 (Digenea) and the constitution of the family Fellodistomidae Nicoll, 1909. Syst. Parasitol. 11: 97–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush, A. O., K. D. Lafferty, J. M. Lotz & A.W. Shostak, 1997. Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. (revisited). J. Parasitol. 83: 575–83.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cremonte, F., 1999. Estudio parasitologico de bivalvos que habitan ambientes marinos mixohalinos en Argentina. Thesis of La Plata National University, La Plata, Argentina: 260 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cremonte, F. & N. H. Sardella, 1997. The parasite fauna of Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782 (Pisces: Scombridae) in two zones of the Argentine sea. Fish. Res. 31: 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dollfus, R., 1963. Liste des coelenteres marins, paleartiques et indiens ou ont ete trouves des trematodes digenetiques. Bull. Inst. Peches. mar. Maroc. 9–10: 33–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaevskaya, A. V., A. A. Kovaliova & G. N. Rodjuk, 1985. Parasitofauna of the fishes of the Falkland-Patagonian Region. In Hargis, W. Jr. (ed.), Parasitology and Pathology of Marine Organisms of the World Ocean. NOAA Technical Report. NMFS: 25 pp.

  • Girola, C. V., S. R. Martorelli & N. H. Sardella, 1992. Sobre la presencia de estadios larvales de Monascus filiformis (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) en hidromedusas del Atlántico Sur. Contribución al conocimiento de su ciclo de vida. Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat. 65: 409–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, K. A., T. H. Cribb & S. C. Barker, 1999. V4 region of samm subunit rDNA indicates polyphyly of the Fellodistomidae (Digenea) which is supported by morphology and life-cycle data. Syst. Parasitol. 43: 81–92.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. G. & S. K. Chun, 1984. Studies on the lif history of Bacciger harengulae. Bull. Korean Fish. Soc. 17: 449–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Køie, M., 1975. On the morphology and life-history of Opechona bacillaris (Molin, 1859) Looss, 1907 (Trematoda, Lepocreadiidae). Ophelia 13: 63–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Køie, M., 1979. On the morphology and life-history of Derogenes varicus (Müller, 1784) Looss, 1901 (Trematoda, Hemiuridae). Z. Parasitenkd. 59: 67–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Køie, M., 1983. Digenetic trematodes from Limanda limanda (L.) (Osteichthyes, Pleuronectidae) from Danish and adjacent waters, with special reference to their life-histories. Ophelia 22: 201–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Køie, M., 1985a. The surface topography and life-cycles of digenetic trematodes in Limanda limanda (L.) and Gadus morhua L. Marin Biol Lab: 20 pp.

  • Køie, M., 1985b. On the morphology and life-history of Lepidapedon elongatum (Lebour, 1908) Nicoll, 1910 (Trematoda, Lepocreadiidae). Ophelia 24: 135–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauchner, G., 1980a. Diseases of Cnidaria. In Kinne, O. (ed.), Diseases of Marine Animals Vol. 1. General Aspects. Protozoa to Gastropoda. John Wiley & Sons, New York: 167–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauchner, G., 1980b. Diseases of Ctenophora. In Kinne, O. (ed.), Diseases of Marine Animals Vol. 1. General Aspects. Protozoa to Gastropoda. John Wiley & Sons, New York: 239–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lebour, M. V., 1916. Medusae as hosts for larval trematodes. J. mar. biol. Assoc. U.K. 11: 57–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcogliese, D. J., 1995. The role of zooplankton in the transmission of helminth parasites to fish. Rev. fish. Biol. Fish. 5: 336–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcogliese, D. J. & J. Price, 1997. Marine trematode: Derogenes varicus. Global Biodivers. 7: 16 pp.

  • Margolis L., G.W. Esch, J. C. Holmes, A. M. Kuris & G. A. Schad, 1982. The use of ecological terms in parasitology (Report of an ad hoc committee of the American Society of Parasitology) J. Parasitol. 68: 131–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, W. E., 1945. Two new species of marine cercariae. Trans. am. microsc. soc. 64: 203–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martorelli, S. R., 1991. Primera cita de una cercaria tricocerca parásita de Dorsanum moniliferum (Mollusca, Buccinidae) para el Atlántico Sudoccidental. Aportes al conocimiento de su ciclo de vida. Neotrópica 37: 57–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martorelli, S. R., 1996. First record of encysted metacercariae in jellyfish of Southern Atlantic. J. Parasitol. 82: 352–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martorelli, S. R. & F. Cremonte, 1998. A proposed three-host life-history of Monascus filiformis (Rudolphi, 1819) (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) in the Southwest Atlantic. Can. J. Zool. 76: 1198–1203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto, G. I., Ch. Baxter & E. H. Chen, 1997. Observations of deep-sea trachymedusa Benthocodon pedunculata. Invert. Biol. 116: 17–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mianzan, H.W., N. Mari, B. Prenski & F. Sanchez, 1996. Fish predation on neritic ctenophores from Argentine continental shelf: a neglected food resource? Fish. Res. 27: 69–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palombi, A., 1934. Bacciger bacciger (Rud.). Trematode digenetico: Fam. Steringophoridae Odhner. Anatomia, sistematica e Biologia. Pub. Staz. Zool. di Napoli 13: 438–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E. & M. N. Arai, 2001. Interactions of pelagic cnidarians and ctenophores with fish: a review. Hydrobiologia 451 (Dev. Hydrobiol. 155): 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, K. H., 1958. Hemiurid larvae (Trematoda) in the medusa Aequorea pensilis (Haeckel) from the Bay of Bengal. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. 1: 702–704.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rebec, J., 1965. Considerations sur la place des trematodes dans le zooplancton marin. Ann. Fac. Sci. Marseilles 38: 61–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, L. W., H. Berger, B. Hewer, H. Lainka, I. Rosenthal & I. Scharnweber, 1971. The distribution of larvae of helminths in planktonic animals of the North Sea. Parasitologiya 5: 542–550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sardella, N. & J. T. Timi, 1996. Parasite communities of Merluccius hubbsi from Argentinian-Uruguayan common fishing zone. Fish. Res. 27: 81–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H.W., 1967. The life-cycle and developmental stages of a digenetic trematode whose unencysted stages occur in medusae. Biol. Bull. 133: 488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H.W., 1969. The morphology and life-history of Neopechona pyriforme (Linton, 1900) n. gen., n. comb., (Trematoda: Lepocreadiidae). Biol. Bull. 136: 96–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H. W., 1974. New intermediate hosts of the digenetic trematodes, Monorcheides cumingiae (Martin, 1938) and Neopechona pyriforme (Linton, 1900). J. Parasitol. 60: 858.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H. W., 1978a. The life-cycle and taxonomic relations of Lintonium vibex (Linton, 1900) Stunkard and Nigrelli, 1930 (Trematoda: Fellodistomidae). Biol. Bull. 155: 383–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H.W., 1978b. Metacercariae of digenetic trematodes from ctenophores and medusae in the Woods Hole, Massachusetts area. Biol. Bull. 155: 467–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard, H. W., 1980a. The morphology, life-history, and taxonomic relations of Lepocreadium areolatum (Linton, 1900) Stunkard, 1969 (Trematoda: Digenea). Biol. Bull. 158: 154–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stunkard,. H.W., 1980b. Successive hosts and developmental stages in the life history of Neopechona cablei sp. n. (Trematoda: Lepocreadiidae). J. Parasitol. 66: 636–641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardle, W. J., 1983. Two new non-ocellate trichocercous cercariae (Digenea: Fellodistomidae) from estuarine bivalved molluscs in Galveston Bay, Texas. Cont. mar. Sci. 26: 15–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yip, S. Y., 1984. Parasites of Pleurobranchia pileus Müller, 1776 (Ctenophora), from Galway Bay, western Ireland. J. Plankton Res. 6: 107–121.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEPAVE- (CONICET), Centro de Estudios Parasitologicos, Vectores 2 Nro. 584, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    Sergio R. Martorelli

Authors
  1. Sergio R. Martorelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martorelli, S.R. Digenea parasites of jellyfish and ctenophores of the southern Atlantic. Hydrobiologia 451, 305–310 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011862406670

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011862406670

Search

Navigation