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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 139:103-111 (2020)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03471

Acanthocephalan parasites collected from Austrian fishes: molecular barcoding and pathological observations

Eva Lewisch1,*, Viktoria Solymos2, Karoline Waldner1, Lara van der Vloedt2, Josef Harl3, Karin Bakran-Lebl2, Mansour El-Matbouli1, Hans-Peter Fuehrer2

1Clinical Division of Fish Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
2Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
3Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Acanthocephalan parasites were collected from the intestinal tracts of 137 predominantly wild fish (1 barbel Barbus barbus, 3 European chub Squalius cephalus, 13 rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and 120 brown trout Salmo trutta) from 12 localities. The condition factor, intensity of acanthocephalan infection and pathological lesions, if applicable, were documented. Routine bacteriology and virology were performed, and the brown trout were additionally tested for the presence of the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsolioides bryosalmonae by PCR. In total, 113 acanthocephalans were barcoded by sequencing a section of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Barcoding of the acanthocephalan tissues resulted in 77 sequences, of which 56 were assigned to Echinorhynchus truttae (3 genotypes), 11 to Pomphorhynchus tereticollis (9 genotypes), 9 to Acanthocephalus sp. (5 genotypes) and 1 to Neoechinorhynchida. Most of these genotypes were detected for the first time. Statistically, the acanthocephalan infection did not have an impact on the condition factor of the brown trout. Infection with P. tereticollis caused more severe pathological changes in the digestive tract than E. truttae. The present study provides new data regarding the distribution of acanthocephalan species in Austria and their impact on individual fish. In addition, new barcoding data from acanthocephalan parasites are presented, and the occurrence of P. tereticollis in European chub in Austria and in brown and rainbow trout in general was confirmed for the first time.


KEY WORDS: Acanthocephalus · DNA barcoding · Echinorhynchus · Pomphorhynchus · Trout


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Cite this article as: Lewisch E, Solymos V, Waldner K, van der Vloedt L and others (2020) Acanthocephalan parasites collected from Austrian fishes: molecular barcoding and pathological observations. Dis Aquat Org 139:103-111. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03471

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