Acanthocephalus bufonis (Acanthocephala) from Bufo marinus (Bufonidae: Amphibia) in Hawaii

Abstract

During a survey of the helminth parasites of the introduced toad, Bufo marinus, on O'ahu, Hawaii, an acanthocephalan corresponding to Acanthocephalus bufonis (Shipley, 1903) was found in the intestinal tract. This is a new host and locality record for A. bufonis which has only previously been recorded from amphibians in the Orient. Possible mechanisms for the introduction of A. bufonis to Hawaii, and its transmission to the toad, are discussed. Almost 98 % of toads were infected with a mean intensity of 28.6 acanthocephalans per infected toad. There was a significant negative correlation between host length and intensity of infection with subadulf toads having significantly higher infection levels than adult male and female toads. Trunk length of both male and female acanthocephalans was significantly related to host length.