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17 July 2023 First Reports of Ligula intestinalis and a Schistocephalus sp. Infecting Small-Bodied Fish in New Brunswick, Canada
Megan L. Fraser, Michelle A. Gray, Kerstyn D. R. Dobbs, Ben I. Andrews, Sarah Van De Reep, Michael S. Duffy
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Morphological characteristics and DNA sequencing were used to identify plerocercoids of a Schistocephalus sp. infecting slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) from northern New Brunswick and plerocercoids of Ligula intestinalis infecting blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) in Fundy National Park (FNP, New Brunswick). To our knowledge, no previous publications documented either cestode from New Brunswick, Canada. Blacknose dace represent a new host record for L. intestinalis. Identifications were made based on the presence or absence of segmentation and sequencing partial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1; mitochondrial DNA) and/or partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI; mitochondrial DNA). Plerocercoids from blacknose dace in FNP were identified as Ligula intestinalis based on >99% nucleotide identity with COI for this species in the NCBI GenBank database. Plerocercoids in slimy sculpin from northern New Brunswick were identified as a Schistocephalus sp. based on high nucleotide identity with congenerics in the NCBI GenBank database. The absence of GenBank entries with sufficient high percent identity to our specimens, and potential species hybrids in this genus, prevents species-level identification of Schistocephalus sp. plerocercoids currently. The absence of previous documentation of these cestodes might reflect recent environmental change promoting the transmission of these parasites that can modulate host fish behavior, induce sterility of host fishes, and contribute to epizootics.

Megan L. Fraser, Michelle A. Gray, Kerstyn D. R. Dobbs, Ben I. Andrews, Sarah Van De Reep, and Michael S. Duffy "First Reports of Ligula intestinalis and a Schistocephalus sp. Infecting Small-Bodied Fish in New Brunswick, Canada," Journal of Parasitology 109(4), 288-295, (17 July 2023). https://doi.org/10.1645/22-127
Published: 17 July 2023
KEYWORDS
Blacknose dace
Canada
Cestode
Cottus cognatus
Ligula intestinalis
plerocercoid
Rhinichthys atratulus
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