Suggested citation: Zica, E. OP., Wunderlich, AC., Ramos, IP., Silva, JR. 2010. Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928)
(Digenea, diplostomidae) infecting Geophagus proximus Castelnau, 1855 (Cichlidae, Perciformes) in the
Tietê River, Nova Avanhandava reservoir, Municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State, Brazil. Neotropical
Helminthology, vol. 4, nº 1, pp. 9-15.
Palabras clave: Diplostomidae - Helmintos - Peces - Río Tietê.
Resumen
Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la infección por metacercanias de Austrodiplostomum
compactum (Lutz, 1928) en los ojos de Geophoagus proximus Castelnau, 1855 del río Tietê
Nova Avanhandava medio Presa, Municipio de Buritama, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Los
parásitos fueron recogidos de humor vítreo, fijados en solución AFA y teñidos con carmín y
aclarados con creosota. El análisis morfométrico se realizó con un sistema informatizado de
análisis de imágenes QWin Lite 2,5 (Leica). Cuarenta y un ejemplares de G. proximus fueron
colectados y 38 fueron infectados en el humor vítreo con metacercarias A. compactum
(prevalencia = 97%). Cuatrocientos ochenta y seis metacercarias fueron recuperadas, rango 1 a
194 en los especímenes estudiados. La intensidad media de la infección y la abundancia fueron
12,8 ± 5,1 y 11,8 ± 4,75, respectivamente.
1
2
AUSTRODIPLOSTOMUM COMPACTUM (LUTZ, 1928) (DIGENEA, DIPLOSTOMIDAE)
INFECTING GEOPHAGUS PROXIMUS CASTELNAU, 1855 (CICHLIDAE, PERCIFORMES)
IN THE TIETÊ RIVER, NOVA AVANHANDAVA RESERVOIR,
MUNICIPALITY OF BURITAMA, SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL
AUSTRODIPLOSTOMUM COMPACTUM (LUTZ, 1928) (DIGENEA, DIPLOSTOMIDAE)
INFECTANDO GEOPHAGUS PROXIMUS CASTELNAU, 1855 (CICHLIDAE, PERCIFORMES)
EN EL RÍO TIETÊ, RESERVORIO NOVA AVANHANDAVA, MUNICIPALIDAD DE BURITAMA,
ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL.
1 1 2 1
Érica de Oliveira Penha Zica , Alison Carlos Wunderlich , Igor Paiva Ramos & Reinaldo José da Silva
ORIGINAL ARTICLES / ARTICULOS ORIGINALES
Abstract
Keywords: Diplostomidae - Fish - Helminths - Tietê River.
This study aimed to evaluate the infection by the Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928)
metacercariae in the eyes of Geophagus proximus Castelnau, 1855 from the Nova
Avanhandava Reservoir, medium Tietê river, municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State,
Brazil. The parasites were collected from vitreous humor, fixed in AFA solution under cover
slip pressure, stained with carmine and cleared with creosote. The morphometric analysis was
performed using a computerized system for analysis of images QWin Lite 2.5 (Leica). Fourty-
one G. proximus specimens were collected and 38 were infected in the humor vitreous with A.
compactum metacercariae (prevalence = 97%). Four hundred eighty six metacercariae were
recovered, range from 1 to 194 in the studied specimens. The mean intensity of infection and
abundance were 12.8 ± 5.1 and 11.8 ± 4.75, respectively.
9
Neotrop. Helminthol., 4(1), 2010
2010 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)
ISSN: 2218-6425 impreso / ISSN: 1995-1043 on line
UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências de Departamento de Parasitologia.
UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências de Departamento de Morfologia.
Corresponding author: ericazica@hotmail.com
INTRODUCTION
Diplostomids have attracted attention because
of their pathogenic metacercariae in fish
(Chappell et al., 1994; Niewiadomska, 1996),
mainly in freshwater system of the Brazil
(Martins et al., 2002; Machado et al., 2005;
Yamada et al., 2007; Zica et al., 2009; Paes et
al., 2009a b). Fish heavily infected with the
metacercariae may experience loss of vision
and reduced growth (Chappell et al., 1994;
Chappell, 1995; Niewiadomska, 1996) or
deformation of the vertebral column, brain
tumour, cellular necrosis and finally death
(Machado et al., 2005).
Diplostomids have a three-host life cycle,
which includes an avian definitive host, a snail
first-intermediate host and a fish second-
intermediate host (Karvonen et al., 2006). An
individual snail may release thousands of
cercariae per day (Karvonen et al., 2004a),
which then penetrate fish hosts and develop to
metacercariae in the lenses of the fish hosts
eyes. While in fish, the parasites cause cataracts
(Shariff et al., 1980; Karvonen et al., 2004b)
which lead to the disease diplostomiasis.
Several species of diplostomid have been found
in fish of the Europe, Asia, North American and
a few in South American (Niewiadomska,
1996), with more of the 125 species of hosts and
wide geographic distribution (Bauer, 1962;
Eiras, 1994; Niewiadomska, 1996). In Brazil, A.
compactum metacercariae have been
previously reported in fishes of the order
Characiformes - Serrasalmus maculatus (Kner,
1858) (Characidae), Hoplias malabaricus
(Bloch, 1794) (Erythrinidae), Schizodon
borellii (Boulenger, 1900) (Anostomidae) and
Metynnis maculatus (Kner, 1858) (Characidae);
Siluriformes - Hypostomus regani (Ihering,
1905) (Loricariidae), A uc he ni pt er us
osteomystax (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1918)
(Auchenipteridae); and Perciformes - Cichla
ocellaris Block & Schneider, 1801, Cichla
monoculus Spix & Agassiz, 1831, Crenicichla
britskii Kullander, 1982, Cichlasoma
paranaense Kullander, 1983, Geophagus
brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824),
Satanoperca pappaterra (Heckel, 1840)
(Cichlidae) and Plagioscion squamosissimus
(Heckel, 1840) (Sciaenidae) (Machado et al.,
2005; Novaes et al., 2006; Yamada et al., 2008;
Zica et al., 2009; Paes et al., 2009a b). However,
there are no reports on the occurrence of the
metacercariae of this species infecting
Geophagus proximus Castelnau, 1855. The aim
of this study is to report the infection case of the
metacercariae of A. compactum in the eyes this
fish species in Tietê River, Nova Avanhandava
Reservoir, municipality of Buritama, São Paulo
State, Brazil.
Forty-one specimens of G. proximus (Figure 1)
were collected on October 2008 in the Nova
Avanhandava reservoir (21° 07' 29.51” S; 50°
11' 28.71” W, medium Tietê River, Municipality
of Buritama, São Paulo State, Brazil (Figure 2
and 3) and were frozen until the laboratory
analysis. Helminths were processed according
to Eiras et al. (2006). Metacercariae were
removed from the vitreous humor and fixed in
AFA (alcohol-formaldehyde-acid acetic)
solution under cover slip pressure. Specimens
were stained with carmine and cleared with
creosote. For morphometric analysis was
utilized a computerized system for image
analysis (Qwin Lite 3.2 – Leica). All
measurements were presented in micrometers
and represent the mean ± standard deviation
(range). The voucher specimens were deposited
in the Coleção Helmi n tológica do
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de
Biociências (CHIBB), Universidade Estadual
Paulista - UNESP, Botucatu city, São Paulo
State, Brazil.
Prevalence (number of hosts infected with one
or more individuals of a particular parasite
species), mean intensity (average intensity of a
particular species of parasite among the
infected members of a particular host species)
and mean abundance (total number of
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Zica et al.Austrodiplostomum in Geophagus
10
individuals of a particular parasite species in a
sample of a particular host divided by the total
number of hosts of that species examined) were
analyzed according to Bush et al. (1997).
Thirty-eight G. proximus specimens were
infected in the humor vitreous with A.
compactum metacercariae (prevalence =
92.7%). Four hundred eighty six metacercariae
were recovered, range from 1 to 194 in the
studied specimens (CHIBB 4794-4831). The
mean intensity of infection and abundance were
12.8 ± 5.1 and 11.8 ± 4.75, respectively.
The main characteristics of A. compactum
metacercariae (Figure 4) were: foliaceous body,
slightly concave in the ventral face; small
conical segment in the posterior region; small
subterminal oral sucker; two lateral
pseudosuckers in the anterior region; oval
pharynx; short esophagus; intestinal caeca
ending near the posterior region; oval tribocytic
organ; gland cells occupying most of anterior
region, extending from the beginning of
intestinal caeca in the anterior region to the
tribocytic organ. Data on the morphometry of A.
compactum metacercariae is summarized in
Table 1.
In Brazil, A. compactum metacercariae have
been reported in several fish species (Machado
et al., 2005; Zica et al., 2009; Paes et al.,
2009a,b; Takemoto et al., 2009), but this
parasite was not reported in G. proximus, thus
this fish species was a new host record for A.
compactum metacercariae. However, these
metacercariae have already been reported in
other hosts from the Nova Avanhandava
reservoir as follow, P. squamosissimus, H.
malabaricus, S. pappaterra, Schizodon nasutus
Kner, 1858 and M. maculatus (Paes et al.,
2009a,b).
The studied G. proximus species presented high
prevalence the A. compactum metacercariae in
humor vitreous. Other studies also have
observed high prevalence of infection by these
metacercariae , mainly infecting P.
squamosissimus (Kohn et al., 1995; Santos et
al., 2002; Machado et al., 2005; Paes et al.,
2009a). Pojmanska & Chabros (1993)
demonstrated that the prevalence of
diplostomids was significantly lower in native
fishes and higher for the introduced species.
These data were also observed by Machado et
al. (2005) in Brazil. In fact, G. proximus,
generally known as Caratinga or Acara-tinga
(Cerdeira et al., 2000; Sampaio da Silva et al.,
2005), has its origin in the Amazon Basin –
Amazonian Hydrographic Region, North of
Brazil, and was introduced after construction of
reservoir in seventy decade for fishery (Moretto
et al., 2008). This fish species has been recently
catch by the fishers in the reservoirs of middle
and lower Tietê River (Moretto et al., 2008) and
Paraná River (Graça & Pavanelli, 2007). So,
according to Pojmanska & Chabros (1993) and
Machado et al. (2005), the high prevalence of
infection by A. compactum metacercariae in G.
proximus could be associated to the fact that this
fish species was an introduced species, which is
highly susceptible to A. compactum infection
similar to the P. squamosissimus (Kohn et al.,
1995; Santos et al., 2002; Machado et al., 2005;
Paes et al., 2009a).
Neotrop. Helminthol., 4(1), 2010
11
RESULTS
Table I. Morphometrical data (in micrometers) of
Austrodiplostomum compactum (n = 22) of Geophagus
proximus from Nova Avanhandava Reservoir,
Municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State, Brazil. SE
=(standard error).
Variables Length ± SE
(range)
Width ± SE
(range)
Body
1708 ± 35.5
(1342-2007)
601 ± 16.1
(481-711)
Oral sucker
59 ± 3.7
(41-81)
67 ± 3.8
(47-89)
Left pseudosucker
154 ± 8.5
(108-205)
104 ± 6.6
(62-166)
Right pseudosucker
155 ± 9.1
(115-223)
99 ± 5.3
(61-119)
Pharynx
72 ± 3.1
(51-99)
51 ± 1.8
(35-66)
Esophagus
68 ± 5.1
(60-81)
-
Tribocytic organ
400 ± 7.5
(348-460)
229 ± 7.4
(165-287)
Conical segment
145 ± 6.3
(91-199)
-
DISCUSSION
Figure 2. Map of Brazil highlighting São Paulo State
and the study area at the Nova Avanhandava Reservoir,
Municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State, Brazil.
Figure 3. Detail of the sampling area at the Nova
Avanhandava Reservoir, Municipality of Buritama, São
Paulo State, Brazil.
Fi g u re 4 . A ust ro dip l o sto m u m c omp a c tum
metacercariae collected in the humor vitreous of
Geophagus proximus from Nova Avanhandava
Reservoir, municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State,
Brazil. Scale bar = 500 mm.
12
Figure 1. Specimen of Geophagus proximus from Nova Avanhandava Reservoir,
Municipality of Buritama, São Paulo State, Brazil. Scale bar = 40 mm. (Foto: Ana Paula
Vidoto).
Zica et al.Austrodiplostomum in Geophagus
Neotrop. Helminthol., 4(1), 2010
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Recibido 14 de Diciembre del 2009.
Aceptado 20 de marzo del 2010.
Neotrop. Helminthol., 4(1), 2010
*Correspondence to author/ Autor para correspondencia:
Érica O.P. Zica
UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu,
Instituto de Biociências de Departamento de Parasitologia.
UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu,
Instituto de Biociências de Departamento de Morfologia.
E-mail/correo electrónico:
ericazica@hotmail.come-mail:
