Morphological and molecular identification of Corynosoma caspicum, and its histopathological effect on the intestinal tissue of a Caspian seal (Pusa caspica)

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

2 Caspian Seal Rehabilitation and Research Center, Ashooradeh Island, Iran

3 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran

Abstract

Background: Corynosoma is a parasite from the Acanthocephala phylum with worldwide distribution. Corynosoma parasites are found in pinnipeds as their definitive host. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the morphological and molecular characteristics of Corynosoma, and its histopathological effect on the intestinal tissue of Pusa caspica. Methods: A severe Corynosoma infection was observed in the small intestine of a juvenile male Caspian seal (P. caspica). The morphological descriptions were done using light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The molecular diagnosis was performed using partial sequences of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 5.8S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Results: According to the results, the Corynosoma specimens were identified as Corynosoma caspicum. The histopathological inspection of intestinal tissue revealed lesions in epithelial cells, mucosa, submucosa and muscle layers, destruction of intestinal glands, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Conclusion: Presence of such a severe infection in one of the individual Caspian seals can suggest the possibility of morbidity among other seals in the landlocked Caspian Sea. Thus, further research on their parasite infections is required for understating the status of the Caspian seal population and conserving this endangered species.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Amin, O; Heckmann, R; Halajian, A and El-Naggar, A (2011). The morphology of an unique population of Corynosoma strumosum (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) from the Caspian seal, Pusa caspica, in the land-locked Caspian Sea using SEM, with special notes on histopathology. Acta Parasitol., 56: 438-445.
Auttila, M; Sinisalo, T; Valtonen, M; Niemi, M; Viljanen, M; Kurkilahti, M and Kunnasranta, M (2015). Diet composition and seasonal feeding patterns of a freshwater ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis). Mar. Mam. Sci., 31: 45-65.
Aznar, FJ; Hernández-Orts, JS and Raga, JA (2018). Morphology, performance and attachment function in Corynosoma spp. (Acanthocephala). Parasit. Vectors., 11: 1-11.
Aznar, FJ; Pérez-Ponce de León, G and Raga, JA (2006). Status of Corynosoma (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) based on anatomical, ecological, and phylogenetic evidence, with the erection of Pseudocorynosoma N. Gen. J. Parasitol., 92: 548-564.
Bancroft, JD and Gamble, M (2001). Theory and practice of histological techniques. 5th Edn., Edingburgh, Churchill Livingston. PP: 126-129.
Dmitrieva, L; Jüssi, M; Jüssi, I; Kasymbekov, Y; Verevkin, M; Baimukanov, M and Goodman, SJ (2016). Individual variation in seasonal movements and foraging strategies of a land-locked, ice-breeding pinniped. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 554: 241-256.
Fujita, T; Waga, E; Kitaoka, K; Imagawa, T; Komatsu, Y; Takanashi, K and Fujimori, S (2016). Human infection by acanthocephalan parasites belonging to the genus Corynosoma found from small bowel endoscopy. Parasitol. Int., 65: 491-493.
García-Varela, M; Aznar, FJ; de León, GPP; Piñero, D and Laclette, JP (2005). Molecular phylogeny of Corynosoma Lühe, 1904 (Acanthocephala), based on 5.8 S and internal transcribed spacer sequences. J. Parasitol., 91: 345-352.
Goldstein, JI; Newbury, DE; Michael, JR; Ritchie, NW; Scott, JHJ and Joy, DC (2017). Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Springer. PP: 65-88.
Golvan, YJ (1994). Nomenclature of the Acanthocephala. Res. Rev. Parasitol., 54: 135-205.
Golvan, YJ and Mokhayer, B (1973). Acanthocephales des esturgeons de la mer caspienne. Ann. Parasitol. Hum. Comp., 48: 597-602.
Goodman, S and Dmitrieva, L (2016). Pusa caspica. The IUCN Red List of threatened species 2016: e.T41669A45230700.
Harkonen, T; Harding, KC; Wilson, S; Baimukanov, M; Dmitrieva, L; Svensson, CJ and Goodman, SJ (2012). Collapse of a marine mammal species driven by human impacts. PLoS One., 7: e43130.
Harkonen, T; Jüssi, M; Baimukanov, M; Bignert, A; Dmitrieva, L; Kasimbekov, Y and Goodman, SJ (2008). Pup production and breeding distribution of the Caspian seal (Phoca caspica) in relation to human impacts. Ambio. 37: 356-361.
Hernández-Orts, JS; Brandão, M; Georgieva, S; Raga, JA; Crespo, EA; Luque, JL and Aznar, FJ (2017). From mammals back to birds: Host-switch of the acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe from pinnipeds to the Magellanic penguin Spheniscus magellanicus. PLoS One., 12: e0183809.
Hernández-Orts, JS; Smales, LR; Pinacho-Pinacho, CD; García-Varela, M and Presswell, B (2017). Novel morphological and molecular data for Corynosoma hannae Zdzitowiecki, 1984 (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) from teleosts, fish-eating birds and pinnipeds from New Zealand. Parasitol. Int., 66: 905-916.
Krylov, VI (1990). Ecology of the Caspian seal. Finnish Game Res., 47: 32-36.
Kurochkin, YV (1975). Parasites of the Caspian seal Pusa caspica. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer., 169: 363-365.
Miyazaki, N (2001). A review of studies on the ringed, Caspian, and Baikal Seals (Pusa hispida, P. caspica, and P. sibirica). Otsuchi. Mar. Sci., 26: 1-6.
Monks, S (2001). Phylogeny of the Acanthocephala based on morphological characters. Syst. Parasitol., 48: 81-116.
Mousavi, HE; Omidzahir, S; Soltani, M; Shayan, P; Ebrahimzadeh, E; Mousavi, S; and Hoseini, M (2013). Morphometrical and molecular characterization of Gyrodactylus cichlidarum (Gyrodactylidae) from Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae) in Iran. Comp. Clin. Path., 22: 1093-1097.
Nickol, BB; Helle, E and Valtonen, ET (2002). Corynosoma magdaleni in gray seals from the Gulf of Bothnia, with emended descriptions of Corynosoma strumosum and Corynosoma magdaleni. J. Parasitol., 88: 1222-1229.
Omidzahir, S; Ebrahimzadeh Mousavi, H; Shayan P; Ebrahimzadeh Abkooh, E and Mahmoodzadeh, H (2015). Morphometric and molecular analysis of Gyrodactlus kobayashi in Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758). J. Vet. Res., 70: 425-432.
Pazooki, J; Mansouri-Habibabadi, Z; Masoumian, M and Aghaee-Moghadam, A (2011). Survey on the metazoan parasites in Neogobius fishes from Southeastern part of the Caspian Sea. Iran J. Fish. Sci., 10: 95-104.
Perrin, WF; Wursig, B and Thewissen, JGM (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. 2nd Edn., San Diego, Academic Press. PP: 188-190.
Rahimi-Esboei, B; Najm, M; Shaker, M; Fakhar, M and Mobedi, I (2017). Prevalence of Corynosoma caspicum infection in Gasterosteus aculeatus fish in Caspian Sea, Northern Iran. Iran. Vet. World. 10: 1139-1142.
Sanaee, S; Omidzahir, S; Sayyad Shirazi, A and Akhoundian, M (2020). Seasonal distribution and some
biological parameters of the Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) in the southeastern region of the Caspian Sea. Iran J. Fish. Sci., 19: 2464-2474.
Sattari, M and Mokhayer, B (2005). Occurrence and intensity of some parasites in five sturgeon species (Chondrostei: Acipenseridae) southwest of Caspian Sea. Current. Sci., 89: 259-263.
Schmidt, JD (1985). Development and life cycles. In: (Eds. D.W.T. Crompton and B.B. Nickol) Biology of the Acanthocephala. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. PP: 273-305.
Sharipov, R (2012). Caspian seal (Phoca caspica Gmelin, 1788) and its current status in the Caspian Sea. J. Black Sea/Med. Environ., 18: 350-359.
Silva, RZ; Cousin, JCB and Pereira, JrJ (2013). Corynosoma cetaceum Johnston and Best, 1942 (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) in Arctocephalus australis Zimmermann, 1783 (Mammalia: Pinnipedia): histopathology, parasitological indices, seasonality and host gender influences. Estud. Biol., 35: 121-134.
Silva, RZ; Pereira, J and Cousin, JCB (2014). Histological patterns of the intestinal attachment of Corynosoma australe (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) in Arctoce-phalus australis (Mammalia: Pinnipedia). J. Parasit. Dis., 38: 410-416.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics