Resumen
Abstract
RESEARCH NOTE/ NOTA CIENTÍFICA
METACESTODES OF PARVITAENIA MACROPEOS (CYCLOPHYLLIDEA,
GRYPORHYNCHIDAE) IN AUSTRALOHEROS FACETUS (PISCES, CICHLIDAE) IN
BRAZIL
METACESTODOS DE PARVITAENIA MACROPEOS (CYCLOPHYLLIDEA,
GRYPORHYNCHIDAE) EN AUSTRALOHEROS FACETUS (PISCES, CICHLIDAE) EN
BRASIL
Hudson Alves Pinto & Alan Lane de Melo
Laboratório de Taxonomia e Biologia de Invertebrados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas,
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG.
aldemelo@icb.ufmg.br
Suggested citation: Pinto, H.A. & Melo, A.L. 2011. Metacestodes of Parvitaenia macropeos (Cyclophyllidea,
Gryporhynchidae) in Australoheros facetus (Pisces, Cichlidae) in Brazil. Neotropical Helminthology, vol 5, nº 2, pp. 279-283.
During studies of helminth parasites of Australoheros facetus (Jenyns, 1842) collected in the Pampulha
dam, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in June and July 2011, it was verified the natural infection
of these fishes by larval cestodes. From 20 specimens of A. facetus analyzed, 13 (65%) presented
metacestodes in the intestine, with the mean intensity 2.69 (1-7) and mean abundance 1.8 (0-7). After
morphological characterization, the parasites were identified as Parvitaenia macropeos (Wedl, 1855).
This is the first report of metacestodes of Parvitaenia in Brazil and P. macropeos in South America.
Australoheros facetus is a new host known for P. macropeos.
Keywords: Cestodes, fishes, metacestodes, parasites, Parvitaenia.
Durante los estudios de helmintos parásitos de Australoheros facetus (Jenyns, 1842) recogidos en la
laguna de Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, en junio y julio de 2011, se observó la
infección natural de los peces por cestodos larvarios. De los 20 especímenes de A. facetus analizados,
13 (65%) tenían metacestodos en el intestino. La intensidad media de infección observada fue de 2,69
(1-7), y la abundancia media de infección 1,8 (0-7). Después de la caracterización morfológica, los
parásitos fueron identificados como Parvitaenia macropeos (Wedl, 1855). Este es el primer registro de
metacestodos de Parvitaenia para Brasil y P. macropeos para América del Sur. Australoheros facetus
es un nuevo huésped conocido para P. macropeos.
Palabras clave: Cestodos, metacestodos, parásitos, Parvitaenia, peces.
INTRODUCTION
Among the avian cestodes, a large number of
species belong to family Gryporhynchidae,
parasites of fish-eating birds. These tapeworms
present a cosmopolitan distribution, and despite the
high richness of species, studies related to larval
forms (metacestodes) in fish are relatively scarce
(Scholz et al., 2004).
The involvement of fish in the life cycle of these
parasites is little known in Brazil. Metacestodes of
Neotrop. Helminthol., 5(2), 2011
2011 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)
Versión Impresa: ISSN 2218-6425 / Versión Electrónica: ISSN 1995-1043
279
only three gryporhynchid species have been
r e c o r d e d i n t h e c o u n t r y : Va l i p o r a
campylancristrota (Wedl, 1855) found in
Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1836),
Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) and
Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède, 1803 in the State
of Paraná (Rego et al., 1999; Takemoto et al.,
2009), Valipora sp. reported in Prochilodus
argenteus Spix & Agassiz, 1829 in the State of
Minas Gerais (Monteiro et al., 2009), and
Glossocercus auritus (Rudolphi, 1819) recently
registered in Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859 also
in the State of Minas Gerais (Pinto & Melo, 2011).
In the present study, metacestodes of Parvitaenia
macropeos (Wedl, 1855) are reported for the first
time in Australoheros facetus (Jenyns, 1842) in
Brazil.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted at Pampulha dam
(43°59´35´´W; 19°50´50´´S), Belo Horizonte,
Minas Gerais, Brazil, in June and July, 2011. The
fishes were collected with a nylon hand net and
transported alive to laboratory where they were
measured and then killed by decapitation. The
viscera were removed and transferred to Petri
dishes containing saline (0.85% NaCl) and
examined for parasites under stereomicroscope.
Metacestodes recovered were flattened under soft
pressure, killed in hot water at 70°C, fixed in
formalin, stained with acetic alum carmine,
dehydrated in an ascending ethanol series, cleared
in beechwood creosote and mounted in Canada
balsam. For studies of rostellar hooks, the scolex of
some parasite specimens were squashed and
mounted in wet preparation containing Amann's
lactophenol. Morphometric analysis was
performed from images obtained in ICC50 Leica
digital camera attached to a microscope and by the
software Leica Application Suite (LAZ EZ)
version 2.0.
The identification of the parasite was based on
morphological description by different author
(Baer & Bona, 1960; Bona, 1994; Scholz &
Salgado-Maldonado, 2001; Scholz et al., 2004).
The specimens studied were deposited in the
collection of the Laboratory of Taxonomy and
Biology of Invertebrates (DPIC), at Department of
Parasitology, Federal University of Minas Gerais
(access number 6217 a-h). Ecological terms used
are in accordance with Bush et al. (1997).
RESULTS
Of a sample of 20 specimens of A. facetus
measuring 5.3 (4.0-7.3) cm of total length
examined, 13 (65%) were infected by
metacestodes. It was verified a mean intensity of
infection of 2.69 (1-7) parasites and a mean
abundance of 1.8 (0-7). Metacestodes (Fig. 1) were
found adhered to the intestinal wall of fishes, and
were characterized by presenting elongated body
(n= 15) measuring 486 (341-648) μm long x 191
(148-218) μm wide. When alive, they have the
body filled with dark granules and calcareous
corpuscles. The scolex is invaginated, 177 (137-
218) μm long x 167 (109-205) μm wide, and
presents four spherical suckers measuring 53 (43-
63) μm in diameter and a muscular rostellum 73
(51-86) μm long x 56 (46-74) μm wide armed with
20 hooks arranged in two crowns of 10 hooks each.
Distal hook (n= 48) is straight, measuring 45 (41-
48) μm, and presents a distally curved blade
measuring 24 (21-25) μm, handle 20 (18-24) μm,
and blade/handle ratio of 1.18 (1.03-1.30).
Proximal hook (n= 45) measuring 28 (27-30) μm,
with blade of 13 (12-14) μm, handle of 16 (14-18)
μm, and blade/handle ratio of 0.81 (0.70-0.94).
Morphological analysis enabled the identification
of P. macropeos. The measures of rostellar hooks of
metacestodes of Parvitaenia spp. known and that
obtained in the present study are showed for
comparison in the Table 1.
DISCUSSION
The cestodes belonging to the genus Parvitaenia
Burt, 1940 are intestinal parasites of ardeids,
presenting currently over 15 species described
(Baer & Bona, 1960; Bona, 1994). The larval
stages are known only for three species: P.
macropeos; Parvitaenia cochlearii Coil, 1955;
Parvitaenia samfyia Mettrick, 1967 (Scholz &
Salgado-Maldonado, 2001; Scholz et al., 2008).
The metacestodes of P. macropeos differ from P.
cochlearii by smaller size of rostellar hooks
(Scholz & Salgado-Maldonado, 2001), and from P.
samfyia by the shape of the handle that present the
distal portion less sharped (Scholz et al., 2008).
The morphological and biological characteristics
of parasites reported in the present study are in
agreement with those reported for P. macropeos by
different authors (Baer & Bona, 1960; Scholz &
Salgado-Maldonado, 2001). Two other species are
Parvitaenia in Australoheros facetus Pinto & Melo
280
known to Brazil, Parvitaenia macrophilica Baer &
Bona, 1960 and Parvitaenia microphilica Baer &
Bona, 1960, both described from Cochlearius
cochlearius (Linnaeus, 1766). However, the
comparison of these species with P. macropeos is
not possible, considering that the scolex and
rostellum therefore the hooks of these species are
unknown (Baer & Bona, 1960).
Parvitaenia macropeos was described from adult
parasites obtained from the small intestine of
Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758) from
Hungary, and later recorded in the same host in
Japan, Italy, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Taiwan and Zambia (Wedl, 1855; Baer & Bona,
1960; Scholz et al., 2004). Given the wide
geographic distribution of N. nycticorax in Brazil
(Sick, 1997), it is possible that this ardeid is also the
definitive host of P. macropeos in the country. In
fact, specimens of N. nycticorax are often seen
during studies in Pampulha dam.
The larval stages of P. macropeos were first
described in Cichlasoma istlanum (Jordan &
Snyder, 1899) from Mexico (Scholz & Salgado-
Maldonado, 2001) and later in Hemichromis
letourneuxi Sauvage, 1880 and Oreochromis
niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Senegal (Haasová,
2009). The finding of the parasite in a new host, A.
facetus, suggests a host specificity of metacestodes
of P. macropeos to cichlids. The present study is the
first report of metacestode of Parvitaenia for the
Brazil and of P. macropeos for South America,
which expands the area of occurrence of this
parasite.
Figure 1. Parvitaenia macropeos – Metacestodes found in Australoheros facetus from Pampulha dam, Belo
Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. a) Larvae alive. b) Larvae stained. c) Detail of rostellum armed with hooks. d) Line
drawing of distal (left) and proximal (right) hooks.
Neotrop. Helminthol., 5(2), 2011
281
Table 1. Morphometric data of rostellar hooks of metacestodes of Parvitaenia spp. reported by differents authors (in micrometers). ND: not done.
Parvitaenia in Australoheros facetus Pinto & Melo
282
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Correspondence to author /Autor para correspondencia:
Alan Lane de Melo
Laboratório de Taxonomia e Biologia de Invertebrados,
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências
Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. CP
486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
E-mail/ correo electrónico:
aldemelo@icb.ufmg.br
Received July 27, 2011.
Accepted August 30, 2011.
Neotrop. Helminthol., 5(2), 2011
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