S T U D I E S ON T H E H E L M I N T H F A U N A O F T H E G R E A T N I C O B A R I S L A N D

Part. II. Nematoda and Aeanthocephala*

BY T. D. SOOTA, C. B. SRIVASTAVA AND ]7,. K. GrlOSH (Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta)

Received December 3, 1969

(Communicated by Dr. B. S. Chauhan, F.A.SC.)

ABSTRACT

The paper deals with four species of nematodes and two of acantho- cephala, all collected from vertebrate hosts from Great Nicobar.

INTRODUCTION

THE paper deals with the descriptions of the nematodes and acanthocepha- lans collected by the Great Nicobar Expedition, 1966, which was orga- nised by the Government of India and in which the Zoological Survey of India participated. Of the six species obtained, the nematodes comprise of four species, viz., Ascaridia nicobarensis Soota et al., 1969; Abbreviata indica Soota et al., 1969; Tanqua tiara (V. Linstow, 1879) Blanchard, 1904 and Ophidascaris filaria (Duj., 1845) Baylis, 1921, and the acanthocephalans comprise of two species, viz., Mediorhynchus cambellensis Soota et al., 1969 and Plagiorhynchus charadrii (Yamaguti, 1939) Van Cleave et Williams, 1951.

The material is dealt with as follows:

Order I. ASCARIDIDEA YAMAGUTI, 1961 Family 1. ASCARIDIDAE BLANCHARD, 1849

Ascaridia nicobarensis Soota, Srivastava et Ghosh, 1969 (Text-Fig. 1)

1969. A. nicobarensis, Soota et al., Proc. 56th Indian Sci. Cong., p. 504.

Material.--Holotype : a ~, Z. S. I. Reg. No. -W 6832/1, host-Nicobar Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda nicobarica), location--intestine, locality--

* A part of this paper was read before the 56th Session of Indian Science Congress Associa- tion (ZooL and Ent. Sec.) held at Powai in the year 1969.

20

Studies on the Helminth Fauna of the Great Nieobar Island--H 21

Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, collector--Dr. A. Daniel and party, 4-3-1966. Paratypos---one c~ and three ~ , Z.S.I. Reg. No.--W 6833/1. Other particulars as for holotype.

-t ............. Sue,__ _~ ~""

pap .... !

TExT-FIG. I. Ascaridia nicobarensis Soota, Srivastava and Ghosh, 1969. Posterior region of male.

pap., papillae; sp., spicule; sue., sucker.

Description.--Male : Body 36-3-45.57 (36-3) ** long, 1.33-1 "49 (1.49) wide at the maximum; head 0" 14-0.17 (0" 17) long, 0.33-0.44 (0.33) wide; oesophagus 2.52-4.33 (2.52) long; tail 0" 61-0.73 (0" 61) long; sucker 0.22- 0"28 (0"28) long, 0.24-0.28 (0.28) away from anus; spicules equal, 1.33- 1.98 (1.98) long; papillae ten pairs, three preanal situated between cloaca and sucker, seven postanal.

Female.--Body 45-62 long, 1.57-1 "8 wide at the maximum; head 0-22-0.32 long, 0-39-0-5 wide; oesophagus 3-5--4.27 long; tail 1.65-1 "82 long; vulva situated 20.37-25.75 from anterior end; eggs 0.044 × 0"033.

Remarks. The present species comes closest to .4. hermaphrodita (Froelich, 1789) Railliet et Henry, 1914, from British Guiana, and A. pseudo- hermaphrodita Travassos, 1930, from Russia, but differs from the first and

** All measurements in ram. Those of holotype in parenthes©s,

22 T . D . SOOTA AND OTHERS

also from the second species, [since according to Kung (1940), second is synonymous with the first], in body measurements, size of spicules and number and arrangement of caudal papillae.

Ophidascaris filaria (Dujardin, 1845)

Material.~A ~ and two ~ , Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6838/1, host-python, location-intestine, locality--Opposite Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, collector-- Dr. A. Daniel and party, 8-3-1966.

Description.--Male : Body 62 long, 0"88 wide at the maximum; head 0.17 long and 0.28 wide; dorsal lip 0"19 wide; oesophagus 4.68 long; tail 0.22 long; spicules 3.41 long; papillae, postanal six pairs all arranged in the typical way, preanal 23 observed.

Female.--Body 25.3 long, 0.55 wide at the maximum; head 0.06 Ion and 0.11 wide; oesophagus 2.2 long; tail 0.2 long; vulva indistinct.

Remarks.--From a comparison of measurements given by Baylis (1936) it is clear that the present specimens have not attained complete maturity.

Order II. Family 1.

SPIRURIDEA DIESING, 1861 PHYSALOPTERIDAE LEIPER, 1908

.4bbreviata indica Soota, Srivastava and Ghosh, 1969 (Text-Fig. 2 a and b).

1969..4. indica Soota et aL, Prec. 56th Indian Sci. Cong., p. 504.

MateriaL--Holotype__ a ~, Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6835/1, host-Bufo sp., location--rectum, locality--Great Nicobar, collector--Dr. A. Daniel and party, 4-3-1966. Paratypes-- two ~ and six ~ , Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6836/1. Other particulars as for holotype.

Description.--Male: Body 11"5-13.2 (12.87) long, 0"42-0"65 (0.53) wide at the maximum; oesophagus 2-14-2-53 (2.14) long; tail 0"49-0.51 (0.49) long; spicules two, dissimilar and unequal, right smaller 0.23-0-26 (0.25) long, left longer 1.31-1.34 (1.34) long; in holotype left one showing two curves in the distal half and measuring along the curves 1.54, in straight line 1.34; papillae--sessile three near cloaca, pedunculate four pairs, two preanal and two postanal, and postanal three pairs, slightly pedunculate, with first two pairs lying close together.

Female.--Body 14"25-15.95 long, 0.55-0.62 wide at the maximum; oesophagus 2"5-2-64 long; tail 0"22--0"25 long; vulva situated 4"5-4.65

Studies on the Helminth Fauna of the Great Nicobar Island--H 23

from anterior end; vagina 0" 54-0.66 long; uterus divided into two branches (though indistinctly); egg chamber 0.49-0.52 long; eggs 0.022 x 0.022.

I / I 21 ---1-?-1 -°°' o~mm. I i

A 1

. . . J t . s p .

r t . s p . _ ,

e l . _ _ _

pap . _ . ! Tr.xT-Fm. 2. Abbreviata indica Soota, Srivasv~va and Ghosh, 1969. (A) Anterior region;

(]3) Posterior region of male. cl., cloacal opening; It. sp., 1Jt spicule; oes., oesophagus; pap., papillae; rt. sp., right

spicule.

Remarks.--The present species comes closest to the following three species, all from amphibians: Abbreviata bufonis Yuen, 1963, from Malaya, A. confusa (Johnston et Mawson, 1942)from Australia, and A. ranae (Walton, 1931) a larval form, from North America. A comparison of the present form with the last of the above species is naturally out of question due to the latt~r's larval representation, but from the other two species it differs

24 T.D. SOOTA AND OTHERS

in certain body measurements, in the size and shape of spicules, and in the arrangement of caudal papillae.

Family 2. GNATHOSTOMATIDAE LANE, 1923 Tanqua tiara (Linstow, 1879) Blanchard, 1904

Material. Five c~c~ and three ~ , Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6837/1, host-- Varanus sp., location--stomach and intestine, locality--Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, collector--Dr. A. Daniel and party, 4-3-1966.

Description.--Male: Body 18.7-26.54 long, 0.8-1.2 wide at the maxi- mum; head 0.3-0.44 in diameter; oesophagus 3.49-5.73 long; tail 0-34- 0.63 long; spicules equal, 1.05-1.11 long; papillae eight pairs, preanal three, adanal one and postanal four.

Female.--Body 20.24-36.48 long, 0"88-1.0 wide at the maximum; head 0.33-0.47 wide; oesophagus 4-84-6.72 long; tail 0-22-0.46 long; vulva situated 2.42-4-37 from posterior end.

Remarks. All the above measurements fall within the range recorded by Baylis (1939). It may be mentioned that the branching of uterus could not be observed perhaps due to the body cavity being crowded by eggs.

Order I. ARCHIACANTHOCEPHALA Family. GIGANTORHYNCHIDAE HAMMAN, 1892

Mediorhynchus cambellensis Soota, Srivastava and Ghosh, 1969 (Text- Fig. 3a-b, and 4)

1969. M. cambellensis, Soota etal., Prec. 56th Indian Sci. Cong., p. 504.

Material.--Holotype--a ~, Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6880/1, host---Oriole, location---intestine, locality--Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, collector Dr. A. Daniel and party, 2-3-1966. Paratypes--one 9, Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6881/1. Other particulars as for holotype; and three ~ , Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6882/1, other host--Fly catcher, locality--Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, Collector-- Dr. A. Daniel and party, 6-3-1966.

Male.--Body elongate, robust, 9.13 × 1.2; proboscis short, club- shaped about 0.83 long, distal portion truncated, proximal conical; proboscis hooks, anterior in seven spiral rows each of 7-9 large ones, posterior too numerous and small to be counted; proboscis receptacle 0.66 long; lemnisci almost equal, 3.15 x 0.25; testes almost equal, 1 "2 × 0"44; ~ra~rl~ glands four pairs, though not ~loarl), disc~rnibl¢,

Studies on the Helminth Fauna of the Great Nicobar Island--H 25

Female.--Body elongate, robust, 13-16 × 2; proboscis short, club- shaped, 1 "0 long, distal portion truncated, proximal conical; proboscis hooks as in male; proboscis receptacle obscured by musculature; lemnisci almost equal, extending upto anterior third of body; genital pore subterminal; female genital tract recumbent and deltoid; eggs 0.055 × 0.033.

I a1"

~ .................... , . . ~ a

~ , _ i,:: . . . . . t.m.

. . . . . . .

\ | } . . . . . ~ ~ --_:::_d~._.~_u,.

\ ......

Mediorh (B) Posterior region

vnchus cambellensis Soota, Srivastava and Ghosh, 1969. of female.

[

( TEXT-FIG. 3.

region; (A) Anterior

a.p., anterior region of proboscis; eg., egg; g.c., guard cells; gen. lig, genital ligament; gen. op., genital opening; lem., lemnisci; p.p., posterior region of proboscis; pb.r., proboscis receptacle; t.m., transverse muscles; u.b., uterine bell; ut., uterus; vag., vagina.

Remarks.--ThJs species closely resembles Mediorhynchus armenicum Petrochensko, 1958, but differs from it in number of proboscis hooks and extent of lemnisci.

Order II. Family.

PALAEACANTHOCEPHALA PLAGIORHYNCHIDAE GOLVAN, 1956

Plagiorhynchuscharadrii (Yamaguti, 1939) VanCleave and Williams, 1951 (Text-Fig. 5 a-c)

1939. Prosthorhynchus charadrii, Yamaguti, Jap. J. Zool., Tokyo, 8 (3), p. 334, pl. 44, Figs. 18-19.

1951. Plagiorhynchus charadrii VanCleave and Williams, J. Parasit., Lan- caster, Pa., 37 (2), p. 156.

1969, P. char adrii, Soota et al,, Prec, 56th Indian Sci. Cong., p. 504,

26 T . D . SOOTA AND OTHERS

Material .--A 9~, Z.S.I. Reg. No. W 6883/1, host--Golden plover, loca- tion-intestine, locality--Cambell Bay, Great Nicobar, collector--Dr. A. Daniel and party, 3-3-1966.

-OL

-p.~

E O

- - - c ~

--'0d - "b, $.

~ t ~ / / . . . . . . b cta . . . . . . . be. . . . . . . bC.

T~xT-Fm. 4. Same, Complete animal 6'. a.t., anterior testis; b.c., bursal cavity; b.cp., bursal cap; b.r., bursal rays; c.g., cement

glands; gen.vest., genital vestibule; lem., lemnisci; p.t., posterior testis; pb.r., proboscis receptacle; v.d., vas deferens; v.s., vesicula seminalis.

Description.--Body plump, fusiform, attenuated at extremities, 11.2 × 2"0; proboscis cylindrical, ~!aviform, ventrally inclined, narrow anteriorly

Studies on tlle Helminth Fauna of the Great Nicobar Island--H 27

constricted posteriorly, broader at the level of basal hooks, 1.0 x 0.2 in maximum diameter; proboscis hooks in 18 longitudinal rows of 18-20 hooks each, distal ones larger and stout, each about 60/z long, subsequent ones in the midproboscis region 48/z and 40/z long respectively, basal ones three or four of each longitudinal row short, delicate and spiniform with abbreviated roots; proboscis receptacle fairly large, tubular and highly muscular about 2.0 long; retinacula posterior, neck obliterated; lemnisci long, tubular, slightly convoluted, reaching almost upto the middle of the body; female genital opening subterminal and borne on the genital cone; vagina with two sphincters; uterus fairly long and tubular; uterine bell weak and cylindrical; eggs elliptical, 100-110 x 33~4tz in average dimen- sions; middle shell with distinct polar bulb.

r - - ~.h.

I' k

B

...... ea "/ / I ,~

......... sl,~.t . . . . . . . . . S~h., @ . . . . . . . . ~ a $ .

. . . . . . . . . ~en~ C

TEXT-FIG. 5. (A) Anterior region; (B) Posterior region of female; (<3) Egg.

opening; pb., proboscis; p.h., proboscis hooks; sph., sphincters; bell ; rag., vagina.

Plagiorhynchus charadrii(Yamaguti, 1939) VanCleave and Williams, 1951. eg, egg; gen. op., genital ut., uterus; u.b., uterine

Remarks.---Plagiorhynchus charadrii (Yamaguti, 1939) VanCleave and Williams, 1951, was originally described from the plovers of Japan by yamaguti who named it as Prosthorhynchus charadrii. Subsequently Van,

28 T. D. SOOTA AND OTHERS

Cleave and Williams (1951) recorded the same species from some Charadrii- form birds from Alaska and assigned the species to the genus Plagiorhynchus, an arrangement accepted by Golvan (1956), and Schmidt and Kuntz (1966).

The species appears to have a very wide distribution. It has been recorded from Japan (Yamaguti, 1939 and 1963), Alaska (VanCleave and Williams, 1951), Australia (Johnston and Edmonds, 1947), Primoryo in Eastern Russia (Belopolskaya, 1958) and Taiwan and Pescadores islands in the Far East (Schmidt and Kuntz, 1966).

Though the important statistics of our material (a single female) slightly Varies from the data of the earlier descriptions they can be considered only as infraspecific variation. For this reason, as well as due to the non- availability of male specimens we prefer to regard our specimen as Plagio- rhynchus eharadrii instead of designating it as a new species. However) the specimen forms first record of the species from the Indian region (Great NicobaO.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are thankful to Dr. A. P. Kapur, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, and to Dr. B. S. Chauhan, Deputy Director, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, for the facilities and encouragement extended for the completion of this paper.

REFERENCES

Baylis, H. A.

Golvan, Y. J.

Johnston, T. H. and Edmonds, S. J.

Kung, C. C.

Petrochensko, V. I.

Schrnidt, G. D. and ~untz, R. E T

. . Fauna Brit. India Including Ceylon and Burma. Nematoda, I, Taylor and Francis, London, 1936, pp. 408.

. . Ibid., 1939, 2, 274.

. . "Acanthocephalus d, Oiseaus. I I r ' . Ann. Parasit. Hum. Comp. Paris, 1956, 31(4), 350-84.

"Australian Acanthocephala, No. 6," Rec. South Aust. Mus., Adelaidae, 1947, 8, 555-62.

. . "Notes on some avian species of Ascaridia," J. Helm, London, 1949, 23 (3-4), 95-106.

. . Acanthocephala o f Wild and Domestic Animals. IL Acad. Nauk., S.S.R., Moscow, 1958, p. 458.

"New and little known plagiorhynchid acanthoeephala from Taiwan and the Pescadores islaads~" Y. Parasit., Lawrence: 1966, $2 (3), 520-27,

Studies on the Helminth Fauna of the Great Nicobar lsland--H 29

VanClcave, H. J. and Williams, R. B.

Walton, A. C.

Yamaguti, S.

Yuen, P. H.

"Acanthocephala from Passerine birds in Alaska," Ibid., Lancaster, 1951, 37(2), 151-59.

.. "Notes on some larval nematodes found in frogs," Ibid., 1931, 17 (4), 228-29.

.. "Studies on the helminth fauna of Japan. Pt. 29. Acantho- cephala, I I ," Jap. J. Zool., Tokyo, 1939, 8 (3), 317-51.

. . Systema helminthum. V. Acanthocephala, Interscience Publ., New York, 1963.

.. "Three nematodes from Malayan amphibians including a new genus and two new species," J. Helminth., London, 1963, 37 (1-2), 145-58.