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Lizama-Schmeisser N, de Castro ES, Espinoza-Carniglia M, Herrera Y, Silva-de La Fuente MC, Lareschi M, Moreno L. Are Rattus rattus fleas invasive? Evaluation of flea communities in invasive and native rodents in Chile. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38958518 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Co-invasion, characterized by the simultaneous introduction of hosts and parasites with the latter establishing themselves in native hosts, is a phenomenon of ecological concern. Rattus rattus, a notorious invasive species, has driven the extinction and displacement of numerous avian and mammalian species and serves as a key vector for diseases affecting both humans and wildlife. Among the parasites hosted by R. rattus are fleas, which exhibit obligate parasitic behaviour, a generalist nature and high prevalence, increasing the likelihood of flea invasion. Simultaneously, invasive species can serve as hosts for native parasites, leading to potential amplification or dilution of parasite populations in the environment. In Chile, R. rattus has been present since the 17th century because of the arrival of the Spanish colonizers through the ports and has spread throughout urban, rural and wild Chilean territories. This study aims to evaluate whether co-invasion of native fleas of invasive rats occurs on native rodents in Chile and to determine whether black rats have acquired flea native to Chile during their invasion. For this, we captured 1132 rodents from 26 localities (20° S-53° S). Rattus rattus was found coexisting with 11 native rodent species and two species of introduced rodents. Among the native rodents, Abrothrix olivacea and Oligoryzomys longicaudatus exhibited more extensive sympatry with R. rattus. We identified 14 flea species associated with R. rattus, of which only three were native to rats: Xenopsylla cheopis, Leptopsylla segnis and Nosopsyllus fasciatus. These three species presented a higher parasite load in black rats compared to native fleas. Leptopsylla segnis and N. fasciatus were also found associated with native rodent species that cohabit with R. rattus. The remaining species associated with R. rattus were fleas of native rodents, although they were less abundant compared to those associated with native rodents, except for Neotyphloceras pardinasi and Sphinctopsylla ares. Although there has been evidence of flea transmission from rats to native species, the prevalence and abundance were relatively low. Therefore, it cannot be definitively concluded that these fleas have established themselves in native rodent populations, and hence, they cannot be classified as invasive fleas. This study underscores R. rattus' adaptability to diverse environmental and geographical conditions in Chile, including its capacity to acquire fleas from native rodents. This aspect has critical implications for public health, potentially facilitating the spread of pathogens across various habitats where these rats are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicol Lizama-Schmeisser
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Elaine Serafin de Castro
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Mario Espinoza-Carniglia
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CONICET CCT-La Plata-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Yessica Herrera
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Marcela Lareschi
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CONICET CCT-La Plata-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Lucila Moreno
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Kutsokon Y, Bielikova O, Pekárik L, Roman A, Shcherbatiuk M, Čiamporová-Zaťovičová Z, Čiampor F. The expansion of invasive species to the East: new sites of the bullheads (genus Ameiurus Rafinesque 1820) in Ukraine with morphological and genetic identification. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38837405 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
This study confirms the extended distribution of two invasive species of the genus Ameiurus in Ukraine. Specifically, A. melas is recorded for the first time in the Southern Buh basin and A. nebulosus has expanded further eastward within the Dnipro basin. Material collected in 2019 and 2022 was identified by morphological features and confirmed by molecular genetic analysis. The most reliable morphological characters for distinguishing these two species include anal-fin membrane pigmentation (light or black), gill raker count (fewer or more than 16), and serrations on the pectoral-fin spine (well-developed along the full length or small, absent near the tip). The analysis of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I barcoding marker identified all samples from the Dnipro Basin (Tnia and Velykyi Luh localities) as A. nebulosus, while all specimens from the Vinnytsia region within the Southern Buh basin (Sotskoho and Vyshenske lakes) were attributed to A. melas. The maximum-likelihood analysis revealed clearly separated clades with high bootstrap support (>75%), strongly supporting the presence of the two separate species. This study suggests the potential for further eastward expansion of both species within Ukraine: A. nebulosus in the northern direction and A. melas in the southern direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliia Kutsokon
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Olena Bielikova
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Ladislav Pekárik
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anatolii Roman
- Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Shcherbatiuk
- Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Fedor Čiampor
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Tkachenko MY, Dudliv I, Kvach Y, Dykyi I, Nazaruk K, Ondračková M. First data on parasites of the invasive brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) in Ukraine. Helminthologia 2023; 60:357-369. [PMID: 38222490 PMCID: PMC10787633 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2023-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
This study describes the parasite community of non-native brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus (Actinopterygii: Ictaluridae), collected at three sites in the river Vistula Basin (Lake Svitiaz, Lake Pisochne, and Lake on Plastova) and one site in the river Diester Basin (Lake Stryiska), in Ukraine. Our data represent the first comprehensive study of parasite community in this fish species in Europe. Sixteen parasite taxa were found, including species co-introduced from North America and species acquired in the European range. Maximum parasite richness (13 spp.) was recorded in Lake Svitiaz situated in a Natural Protected Area, while lowest species richness (3 spp.) was observed at Lake on Plastova, an artificial pond in the city of Lviv. Three co-introduced monogenean species, Gyrodactylus nebulosus, Ligictaluridus pricei and Ligictaluridus monticellii, are recorded in Ukraine for the first time, widening the knowledge of the European distribution of these North American parasites. Metric features for hard parts of invasive and native monogeneans showed overlap in ligictalurid parasites, but slightly smaller metrics in Ukrainian G. nebulosus, possibly reflecting water temperature during fish sampling. Though prevalence and abundance of acquired parasites was relatively low, infection parameters for metacercariae of Diplostomum spp. were relatively high at Lake Svitiaz and the natural Lake Stryiska in Lviv. In two lakes in the Vistula basin, we found high prevalence and abundance of Anguillicola crassus, an Asian nematode infecting eels, possibly supporting the invasional meltdown hypothesis. Our study confirms both further spread of non-native parasites in Europe and use of non-native fish as competent hosts for local native and introduced parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Yu. Tkachenko
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 603 00Brno, Czech Republic
| | - I. Dudliv
- Department of Zoology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Hrushevskyi Street 4, 79005Lviv, Ukraine
| | - Y. Kvach
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 603 00Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 37 Pushkinska Street, 65048Odesa, Ukraine
| | - I. Dykyi
- Department of Zoology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Hrushevskyi Street 4, 79005Lviv, Ukraine
| | - K. Nazaruk
- Department of Zoology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Hrushevskyi Street 4, 79005Lviv, Ukraine
| | - M. Ondračková
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, 603 00Brno, Czech Republic
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Ondračková M, Seifertová M, Tkachenko MY, Vetešník L, Liu H, Demchenko V, Kvach Y. The parasites of a successful invader: monogeneans of the Asian topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, with description of a new species of Gyrodactylus. Parasite 2023; 30:22. [PMID: 37326471 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2023024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Monogenean parasites are often co-introduced with their fish hosts into novel areas. This study confirmed co-introduction of two dactylogyrids, Dactylogyrus squameus Gusev, 1955 and Bivaginogyrus obscurus (Gusev, 1955), and a newly described gyrodactylid species, Gyrodactylus pseudorasborae n. sp. into Europe along with their fish host, the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva (Temminck & Schlegel) from East Asia. All three species were observed in the lower Dnieper and middle Danube basin regions and had slightly larger haptoral hard parts than the same parasites in their native range. While dactylogyrids occurred sporadically, we recorded regular infection by G. pseudorasborae n. sp. at relatively high prevalence and abundance. This latter species was observed in both the native and non-native range of topmouth gudgeon, and resembles Gyrodactylus parvae You et al., 2008 recently described from P. parva in China. Both species were distinguished based on genetic analysis of their ITS rDNA sequence (6.6% difference), and morphometric differences in the marginal hooks and male copulatory organ. Phylogenetic analysis of dactylogyrid monogeneans showed that B. obscurus clustered with Dactylogyrus species parasitising Gobionidae and Xenocyprididae, including D. squameus, supporting recent suggestions of a paraphyletic origin of the Dactylogyrus genus. In addition to co-introduced parasites, topmouth gudgeon was infected with a local generalist, G. prostae Ergens, 1964, increasing the number of monogeneans acquired in Europe to three species. Nevertheless, monogenean infections were generally lower in non-native host populations, potentially giving an advantage to invading topmouth gudgeon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Ondračková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mária Seifertová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Yu Tkachenko
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Vetešník
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Huanzhang Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of the Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Viktor Demchenko
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 37 Pushkinska St., 65048 Odesa, Ukraine
| | - Yuriy Kvach
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic - Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 37 Pushkinska St., 65048 Odesa, Ukraine
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Invasive Alien Species of Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish in the Bulgarian Sector of the Danube River—Results of the Joint Danube Survey 4 (JDS4). WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14152299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the status of aquatic invasive alien species (IAS) in the shoreline zone of the Bulgarian sector of the Danube River, Danube tributaries, and adjacent standing water bodies in the frame of the Joint Danube Survey 4 (JDS4). Seven benthic macroinvertebrates and seven fish IAS were identified. The crayfish Faxonius limosus was frequently found and abundant in the tributaries. The mussels Corbicula fluminea, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, and Sinanodonta woodiana dominated in the Danube River and the middle and lower reaches of the tributaries, while the fish Carassius gibelio, Perccottus glenii, and Lepomis gibbosus were most abundant in the standing water bodies. The integrated biocontamination estimated by taxonomic groups (crayfish, molluscs, and fish), sampling methods, and type of water bodies ranged from moderate in the shoreline zone of the Danube River, through moderate to high in the canals and lakes, to severe in the Danube tributaries and the reservoirs. The results demonstrate the importance of IAS in the assessment of the ecological status/potential of the water bodies in the DRB. The comprehensive evaluation of the aquatic IAS pressure will provide valuable information and support for the implementation of the national and EU IAS and water policies in the DRB.
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Morphometric and genetic evidence for cryptic diversity in Gyrodactylus (Monogenea) infecting non-native European populations of Ameiurus nebulosus and A. melas. Parasitology 2020; 147:1700-1711. [PMID: 32729452 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020001195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Gyrodactylid parasites were observed on non-native populations of North-American freshwater catfishes, Ameiurus nebulosus and Ameiurus melas (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae), at several sites in the Elbe River basin, Czech Republic, Europe. Using a combination of morphological and genetic analyses, the parasites infecting A. nebulosus were determined to be Gyrodactylus nebulosus, a North American parasite co-introduced to Europe along with its Ameiurus fish hosts. Subtle morphometrical differences, as well as seasonal variations, were observed among parasites collected from A. nebulosus and A. melas. The host-related variation was further supported through genetic analysis of the partial 18S rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and COI, showing 0.2, 3.0 and 4.8% divergence, respectively. Consistent genetic differences indicated there were two distinct genotypes. Subtle morphological differences associated with the shape of sickle toe, anchor root and ventral bar membrane, according to host species, also supported the description of a new cryptic species, Gyrodactylus melas n. sp., infecting A. melas. Multivariate morphometrical analysis of haptoral hard parts showed significant differences between the anchor lengths of G. nebulosus and G. melas n. sp. However, the measurements of the haptoral hard structures partially overlapped between species, limiting the usage of these parameters for species delineation.
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