Untangling the “ Renicola somateria ” (Digenea, Renicolidae) Muddle: Actual Number of Species and Their Distribution and Transmission in the Holarctic

Renicolids are parasites of aquatic birds. Their species identification based on morphological characters is problematic. Here, we revised the composition of Renicola spp. parasitising anatids in nearshore areas of northern seas using integrated morphological and molecular data. We redescribed Renic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity
Main Authors: Kirill V. Galaktionov, Anna I. Solovyeva, Aleksei A. Miroliubov, Anna E. Romanovich, Karl Skírnisson
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024
Subjects:
Digenea
Renicolidae
Renicola somateria
Renicola mediovitellata
life cycle
molecular phylogeny
Biology (General)
QH301-705.5
Arctic
Pacific
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070402
https://doaj.org/article/ea73fc7bca94473ba3462269a8b30f0f
Description
Summary:Renicolids are parasites of aquatic birds. Their species identification based on morphological characters is problematic. Here, we revised the composition of Renicola spp. parasitising anatids in nearshore areas of northern seas using integrated morphological and molecular data. We redescribed Renicola somateria and verified the diagnosis of R. mediovitellata . We established that the first intermediate host (FIH) of R. somateria is the mollusc Buccinum undatum , while the FIHs of R. mediovitellata are Nucella spp. molluscs. We described the intramolluscan stages of both species. Renicola somateria and R. mediovitellata formed a separate clade in the molecular trees of the Renicolidae. This finding confirms the existence of three main phylogenetic branches of renicolids, differing in the structure of adults, type of cercariae, and host range. Molecular data demonstrated an amphiboreal distribution of both R. somateria and R. mediovitellata . The former is represented by a single population in Europe and the North Pacific, while the latter forms separate populations in these regions. This may be because R. somateria actually uses not only B. undatum but also some other buccinid species with similar circum-Arctic ranges as the FIH. We discuss the roles played in the formation of digenean ranges by the vagility of the definitive host, the lifespan of the adults, and the distribution of the FIH.

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