Publication details
Hidden in the plain sight: the unexpected genetic diversity of amphibian's paramphistomous trematodes
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| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | One of the common inhabitants of amphibians' digestive and excretory system are paramphistomous trematodes of the family Diplodiscidae. These robust parasitic worms are widely spread through the Palearctic region and their typical life-cycle includes a planorbid snail as the intermediate host and an amphibian as the final host. According to literature, a host range of these parasites is rather wide, however, in the western Palearctic, only two species are reported - Diplodiscus subclavatus (Pallas, 1760) and Opisthodiscus diplodiscoides Cohn, 1904. Even though there are some taxonomical controversies regarding the latter species, the whole distribution range of the diplodiscids is hardly known, even in Europe. Even less is known about their genetic diversity. In the present study, we investigated one of the blank spots – the Balkan Peninsula, and compared diplodiscid diversity and distribution in the various sites in the region with their diversity and distribution in central Europe. The parasites were collected from four species of water frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus, P. esculentus, P. epeiroticus, P. kurtmuelleri) from nine sites in Slovakia, three sites in Greece, and one site in Albania over the years 2019 to 2021. Adult diplodiscid specimens extracted from hosts were morphologically examined, identified, and subsequently sequenced (COX I, 28S rDNA). In contrast to water frogs from Slovakia, which harboured both diplodiscid species; i.e., D. subclavatus and O. diplodiscoides, the water frogs in the Balkans were parasitized only by the former species. Moreover, the genetic diversity observed in the mitochondrial markers revealed a strong geographic genetic structure among investigated diplodiscid individuals. Even though the host specificity was not observed among diplodiscids collected from water frogs with the sympatric occurrence of one or more Pelophylax species, our observation revealed some degree of competition between Diplodiscus and Opisthodiscus individuals; i.e., no mixed infection was recorded. |