First record of the genus choledocystus (Trematoda: Plagiorchiidae) for amphibians of the chacoan region in argentina

Abstract

This is the first record of the trematode Choledocystus incurvatum and Choledocystus elegans in Argentinean amphibians collected in two localities of the Chacoan region. The first trematode species was found infecting the small intestine of Pseudis paradoxa Linnaeus, captured near the city of Corrientes, Corrientes Province; the second species was found infecting the gall-bladder of Lepidobatrachus laevis Budgget, captured in Ingeniero Juárez, Formosa Province. Morphology of these species was studied in detail using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and compared with previous studies of Brazilian and Venezuelan specimens. Morphological descriptions of these parasites are provided to supplement existing data. Choledocystus incurvatum was characterized using molecular methods by sequencing and analyzing rDNA. Regarding metric characters of C. incurvatum, the Argentinean specimens show some differences in body and egg size (some larger than Venezuelan specimens). For C. elegans the specimen shows smaller body size than Brazilian specimens. SEM observations of C. incurvatum showed tegument covered with triangular spines and confirmed presence of a sucker-like structure around the genital atrium. The morphological and genetic data on C. incurvatum contribute to a more thorough diagnosis of the genus. Moreover, this report represents the first occurrence of this genus in the Argentine Chacoan region.