A checklist of marine larval trematodes (Digenea) in molluscs from Argentina, Southwestern Atlantic coast

Abstract

A checklist of cercariae parasitizing marine molluscs from Patagonian coast, Argentina, based on literature sources and new records here presented. In total, cercariae of 31 species of marine digeneans, including 11 new records here presented, are known to infect 20 species of molluscs (14 in nine gastropods species; 17 in 11 bivalve species). These records include two species of Aporocotylidae, four Bucephalidae, one Fellodistomidae, five Gymnophallidae, one Hemiuroidea, four Lepocreadiidae, two Microphallidae, five Monorchiidae, one Notocotylidae, one Philophthalmidae, two Renicolidae, one Schistosomatidae and two Zoogonidae. For each digenean species, their hosts, habitat type, localities, infection site, prevalence, life cycle advances, and access numbers in helminthological collections and GenBank, when available, are detailed. Regarding the life cycles, eight were completely elucidated and four were partially elucidated. Moreover, there are molecular data for 15 species. The data here presented constitutes an advance in the parasites biodiversity knowledge and their life cycles.