JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY Impact Factor 1.393, ISSN: , Volume 2, Issue 8, September 2014

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1 THE FIRST RECORD OF NEMATODA Chabaudinema americana ( Diaz- Ungria, 1968) FROM TURTLES AT BASRAH CITY/ IRAQ DR. FATIN A. A. MUSTAFA* *Asst. Professor, Dept. of Biology, College of Education of Pure Science, University of Basrah, Iraq ABSTRACT Adult amphibians play an important role in the life cycle of different species of nematode parasites when they act as paratenic hosts. A total nematodes worms recovered from ten dissected fresh water turtles Glemmys caspica was 30 male and female all of them was found to be Chabaudinema americana (Diaz- Ungria, 1968). This study record as a first time on fresh water turtles in Basrah city and this nematoda found to be as a first record, some worms samples put in British Natural History Museum as a voucher specimens. INTRODUCTION Turtles and tortoises are fortunate that they are not as susceptible to as many varieties that most mammals, birds and other reptiles are plagued with, so, there are several parasites that can cause a severe problems and even death, and the most parasitic problems in turtles and tortoises occurs when the animals are in close captivity with other turtles and tortoises or when kept in unsanitary housing condition ( Foster and Smith, 2010). Adult amphibians play an important role in the life cycle of different species of nematode parasites when they act as paratenic hosts ( Gonzalez and Hamann, 2010). Therefore, nematodes are one of the most common parasites found in turtles and tortoises and these internal parasites are similar to the common roundworms that infect most mammalian species. The infection occurs when a healthy turtle ingests the tiny roundworm eggs that have been deposited in the environment through infected turtles feaces, therefore, the eggs hatch, the larvae mature and the worms set up residence in the digestive tract and will continue to reproduce and grow, the heavy worms infestation will often have symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea and possibly vomiting of worms, diagnosis is either made by seeing the worms in the feaces or vomitus or through feacal sample examined under microscope ( Foster and Smith, 2010). Studies on the helminth fauna of sea turtles have been conducted in many countries, like, Baylis, (1923) recorded a different nematodes from Ascaridae and Hetrakidae from turtles in Egypt; Blair and Limpus, (1982) found digenia in turtles in Australia; Almor et. al., (1989) 423

2 pointed many worms parasitic on turtles in France; Werneck et. al., (2008) found different helminthes parasitized on turtles in Brazil. In Iraq few studies done on different reptiles, like, Al-Barwari and Nassir, (1983) which recorded ten helminthes from vertebrates; Hassan and Abdullah, (1989) isolated different parasites from lizards; Molan and Saeed, (1986) noticed Cysticercoids from Iraqi snake; Saeed et. al., (2007) reported a parasites from some Iraqi amphibians. This study record as a first time on fresh water turtles in Basrah city, so, the aim of this study was to focusing the genus and species of nematode which parasitized and found in gastrointestinal tract of turtles. Materials and Methods The turtles under this study were collected from Shatt Alarab river at Basrah city southern Iraq by hand captured, the full taxonomy of each turtle were recorded as Glemmys caspica by Marine Science Center at Basrah University, each sample were bring a live to the laboratory of parasitic research at Department of Biology in College of Education of Pure Science in Basrah University, then euthanized by formaldehyde and after that necropsy, the alimentary tract were removed for examined the parasites that be found ( Gonzalez and Hamann, 2010). All isolated parasites were bring to the labrotary of Parasitology at Veterinary Medicine College in Basrah University for other steps. The nematodes that found were removed by fine needle, washed many time in distilled water, then some preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol, other were cleared in lactophenol and glycerin. A temporary slides were mounted, and under microscope drawing by camera Lucida, measurements were given in micrometers. Each worms were confirm a taxonomy by Prof. Dr. Nasr Elbahy, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Almunoffya, Egypt, furthermore, worms were sent to the British Natural History Museum to put as a voucher specimens. Results A total nematodes worms recovered from ten dissected turtles was 30 male and female, ten of them were sent to the British Natural History Museum, U.K. for confirm the taxonomy, and the others were studied. Taxonomically this nematoda related to the (n= 3 females, n= 5 males): Order: Ascaridida 424

3 Suborder: Kathlanidae ( Lane, 1914 subfam) Travassos, 1918 Genus: Chabaudinema ( Diaz- Ungria, 1968) Species: Chabaudinema americana (Diaz- Ungria, 1968) The general characteristics: anterior part extremity, pharyngeal part of esophagus armed with complex cuticularized formation and well developed valves with valvular flap. These nematodes parasitic on fish, amphibian and reptiles. Figures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) showed the anterior part ( lateral and dorsal), posterior part and vulvar region of female, spicules and gubernaculums of male nematodes Chabaudinema americana respectively drawing by camera lucida. Fig. 1: Female of Chabaudinema americana anterior end, lateral view. Par = 500 µm. Fig. 2: Female of Chabaudinema americana anterior end, dorsal view. Par = 100 µm. Fig. 3: Female of Chabaudinema americana posterior end, lateral view. Par = 500 µm. A B Fig. 4: Female of Chabaudinema americana vulvar region, lateral view. Par = 500 µm. Fig. 5: Male of Chabaudinema americana (A) Spicules and Gubernaculums, Par = 100 µm. ( B) Posterior end, lateral view, Par = 500 µm. 425

4 In photomicrograph (1, 2, 3) it can be found the anterior part of Chabaudinema americana with clear pharynx and esophagus, while, in photomicrograph ( 4) showed a vulvar region of female Chabaudinema americana. The posterior end of male and female Chabaudinema americana with a clear differences in ( photomicrographs ( 5, 6). Photomicrograph (1): Anterior part of Chabaudinema americana. 40 Photomicrograph (2): Anterior part of Chabaudinema americana. 10 X Photomicrograph (3): Pharynx and esophagus of Chabaudinema americana. 10 Photomicrograph (4): Vulvar region of female Chabaudinema americana. 10 X Photomicrograph (5): Posterior end of Chabaudinema americana female. 40 X Photomicrograph (6): Posterior end of Chabaudinema americana male. 10 X 426

5 Discussion The nematoda Chabaudinema americana found in gastrointestinal tract of fresh water turtles Glemmys caspica was recorded as a first time in Basrah city under this study. In Iraq there was no studies on turtles and parasites inside it or may be in the past there was one or two studies but I didn t find it any more. Many species of reptiles are prevalent in the Iraqi ecosystems, they comprise such principal categories like lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles, but, very little attention has been paid by Iraqi and non- Iraqi biologists to the parasitism in any group of them ( Al-Barwari and Saeed, 2007). Chabaudinema americana a nematoda related to the order Ascaridida with pharyngeal part of esophagus armed and with complex cuticularized formation. In the world many nematodes found in fresh and marine water turtles, like, Charles et. al., ( 2000) found nematodes Falcaustra kutcheri in Geoemyda yuwonoi turtles from Indonesia, Schoenecker et. al., (1977) record Spironoura tikasinghi nematodes from turtles in Trinidad, Charles et. al., (2004) record new species of Falcaustra from turtles in Costa Rica. In conclusion reptiles, turtles and tortoises which prevalent in the Iraqi ecosystems have many pathogenic inside ( virus, bacteria and parasites) and it must be focusing with many studies because of high distribution in the area, contact with human, found in fresh water with other animals, some found in houses with human and it could be transmit diseases or parasites inside it and complete their life cycle, so, this type of studies very benefit to draw a distribution map for both hosts and parasites. Acknowledgment Special thanks to Prof. Dr. Suzan A. Al-Azizz Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Parasitology/ College of Veterinary Medicine / Basrah University for her helps, and Mr. Hisham K. Abdulzaha/ Animals anatomist for his help in dissects and confirm a taxonomy to the turtles under this study. References 1. Al-Barwari, S. E. and Nassir, J. K. (1983). First record of ten species of helminthics parasites from vertebrates in Iraq. Iraqi J. Science., 24: Al-Barwari, S. E. and Saeed, I. (2007). On the helminth fauna of some Iraqi reptiles. Turk. Parazitoloji Dergisi., 31 (4): Almor, P.; Raga, J. a.; Abril, E.; Balbuena, J. A. and Duguy, R. (1989). Parasitisme de la tortue luth, Demochelys coriacea ( Linnaeus, 1766) dans les eaux europeennes par Pyeylosomum renicapite ( Leidy, 1856). Vie. Milieu., 39:

6 4. Baylis, H. A. (1923). Report on a collection of parasitic nematodes, main l from Egypt, part I Ascaridae and Heterakidae. Physio., 15: Blair, D. and Limpus, C. J. (1982). Some digeneas ( Platyhelminthes) parasitic in the Loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta (L.), in Australia. Austra. J. of Zoolo., 30: Charles, R. B.; Stephen, G. P. and Thomas, R. R. (2000). Falcaustra kutcheri N. sp. (nematoda: Kathilaniidae) from Geoemyda yuwonoi ( Testudines: Emydidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia. J. of Parasitol., 86(2): Charles, R. B.; Stephen, R. G. and Christine, L. M. (2004). Two new species of Falcaustra and comments on helminths of Norops tropidolepis ( Sauria: Polychrotidae) from Costa Rica. J. of Parasitol., 90 (3): Foster and Smith (2010). Common Internal parasites in turtles and tortoises. Pet Education.com 9. Gonzalez, C. E. and Hammann, M. I. ( 2010). Larval nematodes found in amphibians from northeastern Argentina. Braz. J. Biol., 70(4). 10. Hassan, I. S. and Abdullah, I. A. (1989). Helminth parasites of the digestive tract of lizards in Ninevah district, Iraq. J. Education and Science, 9: Molan, A. L. and Saeed, I. (1986). First record of Diplopylidium nolleri ( Skarjabin, 1924) cysticercoids from Iraqi snake and Geckos. Proceeding of the scientific research conference, Baghdad. 5: Saeed, I.; Al-Barwari, S. E. and Al-Harmin, K. I. (2007). A metazoan parasitological research of some Iraqi amphibians. Tr. J. Zool. 13. Schoenecker, S. A.; Schmidt, G. D. and Everard, C. O. R. (1977). Spironoura tikasinghi sp. N. ( Nematoda: Kathilaniidae) from a turtle in Trinidad, W. I. J. of Parasitol., 63 (2): Werneck, M.R.; Thomazini, C. M.; Mori, E. S.; Goncalves, V. T.; Gallo, B. M. G. and Da Silva, R. J. (2008). Gastrointestinal helminth parasites of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758 ( Testudines, Cheloniidae) in Brazil. Pan-American J. of Aquat. Scienc., 3(3):