CSIRO Publishing Home Books & CDs Journals About Us Shopping Cart
Australian Journal of Zoology
  Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
You are here: Journals > Australian Journal of Zoology   
Search
 
 
  Advanced Search
   
Journal Home
General Information
Scope
Editorial Board
Print Publication Dates
Online Content
For Authors
For Referees
How to Order

 Most Read
Visit our Most Read page regularly to keep up-to-date with the most downloaded papers in this journal.

 Early Alert
Subscribe to our email Early Alert or RSS feeds for the latest journal papers.

 

Nematodes from the water dragon, Physignathus lesueurii (Reptilia : Agamidae) in Australia, with a description of Spinicauda fluviatica, sp. nov. (Nematoda : Heterakoidea)

Hugh I. Jones

Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology, M502, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. Email: hjones@cyllene.uwa.edu.au


Abstract

Abbreviata physignathi and Spinicauda fluviatica, sp. nov., were the predominant species of nematode recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of 65 Physignathus lesueurii examined from eastern Australia. S. fluviatica, sp. nov., is distinguished from other known species by the large well sclerotised excretory sinuses in both sexes and by the relative lengths of the spicules and gubernaculum in males. This is the first species of Spinicauda to be described from an agamid lizard. Both these nematode species occur mainly or entirely in New South Wales within 100 km of the coast; P. lesueurii is the only known host of both species. The persistence of generalised apical dentition in A. physignathi and its high host-specificity suggests a long association with this lizard, which diverged early from the main agamid stock. The significant association of these two unrelated nematode species is attributed to the high density of P. lesueurii hosts along suitable rivers. Other nematode species identified in low numbers in one or two hosts only were Abbreviata antarctica, A. confusa, Maxvachonia brygooi and immature Dracunculus sp. in the gastrointestinal tract, encysted subserosal physalopterid larvae on two stomachs, and Oswaldofilaria samfordensis in the body cavity.

Australian Journal of Zoology 55(3) 161–168    doi:10.1071/ZO06079
Submitted: 13 September 2006    Accepted: 2 May 2007    Published: 28 June 2007





   
Subscriber Login
Username:
Password:  

 View
Issue Contents
PDF (393 KB) $25
Export Citation
 Tools
Print
Email this page
    


 
Top  Email this page
 


Legal & Privacy | Sitemap | Contact Us | Help

CSIRO

© CSIRO 1996-2010