Evaluating the ontogenetic external morphology of an ectoparasitic Torix tukubana (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae), with records of its new host amphibian species

Torix is a leech genus containing freshwater proboscidate species, and several members of this taxon are ectoparasites specific to amphibians. Torix tukubana inhabits mountain streams in Japan, and only two frog species are known to be hosts. We collected this leech from two other amphibians, Onycho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology research (1987) 2019-02, Vol.118 (2), p.663-666
Main Authors: Kambayashi, Chiaki, Kurabayashi, Atsushi, Nakano, Takafumi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibians
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cyclooxygenase 1 - genetics
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Discovery and exploration
DNA
Ectoparasites
Evolution
Fresh Water - parasitology
Frogs
Genetic aspects
Genetics
Glossiphoniidae
Health aspects
Host specificity
Host Specificity - physiology
Host-parasite relationships
Immunology
Japan
Juveniles
Leeches - classification
Leeches - genetics
Medical Microbiology
Microbiology
New records
Nucleotide sequence
Ontogeny
Phylogeny
Phylogeny - Short Communication
Ranidae - parasitology
Reptiles & amphibians
Species
Urodela - parasitology
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Description
Summary:Torix is a leech genus containing freshwater proboscidate species, and several members of this taxon are ectoparasites specific to amphibians. Torix tukubana inhabits mountain streams in Japan, and only two frog species are known to be hosts. We collected this leech from two other amphibians, Onychodactylus japonicus (Japanese clawed salamander) and Rana ornativentris (montane brown frog), for the first time. This finding suggests that the host specificity of T. tukubana is low. The immature individuals of T. tukubana were also collected and identified based on DNA data. This is the first juvenile record of this species confirmed by its DNA barcode sequences. Several morphological characters known from large individuals and used as diagnostic characteristics in taxonomic keys were not observed in the juveniles, suggesting that these are ontogenetic traits.
ISSN:0932-0113
1432-1955
DOI:10.1007/s00436-018-6141-y