Five new records of nematodes from East Antarctica

 

P. Bohra 1, A.K. Sanyal 2, A. Hussain3 & B. Mitra 4

 

1Zoological Survey of India, Desert Regional Centre, Jhalamand, PaliRoad, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342005, India.

2&4 Prani Vigyan Bhawan, Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, 535 New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India.

3Zoological Survey of India, Northern Regional Centre, 218, Kaulagarh Road, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand 248195, India.

Email: 1 bohrapadma@gmail.com

 

 

Date of publication (online): 26 June 2010

Date of publication (print): 26 June 2010

ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)

 

Editor: Anwar L. Bilgrami

 

Manuscript details:

Ms # o2342

Received 09 November 2009

Final received 11 May 2010

Finally accepted 15 May 2010

 

Citation: Bohra, P., A.K. Sanyal, A. Hussain & B. Mitra(2010). Five new records of nematodes from East Antarctica. Journal of Threatened Taxa 2(6): 974-977.

 

Copyright: © P. Bohra, A.K. Sanyal,A. Hussain & B. Mitra 2010. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTTallows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

 

Acknowledgement: The authors are highly thankful to Dr. Ramakrishna, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for providing necessary facilities to carry out the research work.

 

 

For Figures - - click here

 

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Antarctica comprise of Protozoa, Rotifera, Tardigrada, Nematoda and Arthropoda.  A handful of soil contains thousands of the microscopic nematode worms, many of them parasites of insects, plants or animals.  Free-living species are abundant, including nematodes that feed on bacteria, fungi, and other nematodes.

The Antarctic region has been subdivided into three main ecological zones viz., the Continental Antarctic, the Maritime Antarctic and the Sub-Antarctic with distinctive climatic and biotic characteristics (Holdgate 1970). The free-living soil, freshwater and moss inhabiting nematodes of these regions have been studied by de Man (1904), Krijanova(1958), Timm (1971), Gray (1975), Loof(1975), Heyns (1993), Kitoet al. (1996), and others. Andrassy (1998) has reported nematodes as the most abundant group in the Antarctic region.  He listed 43 species comprising 29 species from the maritime region and 14 from Antarctica proper.  Besides, he has also discussed survival strategies and geographic distribution of nematodes.  He has also provided a key to the species of Plectidae and Qudsianematidae.  Bostrom(2005) added three species of nematodes from Maudland, East Antarctica and Ghosh et al. (2005) reported one new species Antarctenchus motililius from East Antarctica.  Andrassy (2008) described six new species of the genus Eudorylaimus from continental Antarctica.

The moss and soil samples were collected from different sites at the periphery of PriyadarshiniLake (PDL) located at Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica.  The nematodes were killed and fixed in hot 4% formalin and mounted in anhydrous glycerin.  The specimens are deposited in the National Zoological Collection of Desert Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jodhpur.

 

Results

The analysis of samples yielded five species belonging to three genera and three families of the Orders Tylenchida, Dorylaimida and Araeolaimida.  Helicotylenchus dihystera, H. diagonicus, H. exallus, Eudorylaimus sabulophilus and Plectus telekii are being reported for the first time from East Antarctica.

 

Systematic account

 

Order: TylenchidaThorne, 1949

Superfamily: Hoplolaimoidea Filipjev, 1934 (Paramonov, 1967)

Family: Hoplolaimidae,Filipjev, 1934 (Wieser, 1953)

Genus: Helicotylenchus Steiner, 1945

 

 

Helicotylenchus diagonicus Perry in Perry, Darling & Thorne, 1959

(Fig. 1)

 

Material examined: 3 females, 14.i.1999, coll. A.K. Sanyal,  Reg.No. IV/1923.

Host: Moss at the bank of PDL.

Measurements: Female (3): L = 0.49-0.90 mm; a = 24-26; b = 5.5-6.0; c = 50-55; V = 10-1156-629-10

 

Description:

Female: Body spiral shaped.  Lip region truncated with 3-4 annules.  Stylet 20-22 µm long, basal knobs flattened slightly indented anteriorly.  Spermatheca offset without sperms.  Phasmids at the level of anus. Tail more curved dorsally with slight ventral projection.

Male: Not found.

 

Distribution: Canada, Greece, India, Poland, USA.

 

Remarks: First report from Antarctica.

 

 

Helicotylenchus exallus Sher, 1966

(Fig. 2)

 

Material examined: 5 females, 30.xii.1999, coll. A.K. Sanyal, Reg.No. IV/1924.

Host: Moss at the bank of PDL.

Measurements: Females (5): L = 0.61-0.65 mm; a = 26-28; b = 6.0-6.2; c = 40-45; c´ = 0.7-1.2; V = 10-1160-628-10

Description

Female: Body spiral shaped.  Lip region hemispherical marked by fourannules. Stylet 24-26 µm long, basal knobs with flattened anterior surface.  Spermathecalarge, offset with sperms.  Phasmid 2-3 annules anterior to anus.  Tail more curved dorsally with slight ventral projection.

Male: Not found.

 

Distribution: India, USA.

 

Remarks: First report from Antarctica.

 

 

Helicotylenchus dihystera (Cobb, 1893) Sher, 1961

(Fig. 3)

 

Material examined: 5 females, 03.i.1999, coll. B. Mitra,  Reg.No. IV/1921.

Host: Wet Moss along with soil at the bank of Priyadarshini Lake (PDL).

Measurements: Females (5): L = 0.54-0.83 mm; a = 20-32; b = 4.5-6.4; c = 44-46; c´ = 1.0-1.3; V = 12-1560-6611-13

 

Description

Female: Body spiral.  Cuticle with distinct transverse striae. Lip region continuous with body, hemispherical bearing four annules.  Cephalic framework conspicuous. Lateral fields marked by four incisures.  Stylet 24-26 µm long, basal knobs concave.  Oesophagus with gland overlapping ventrally. Spermatheca rounded offset, without sperms.  Tail dorsally convex-conoid usually with slight ventral projection.

Male: Not found.

 

Distribution: This is a cosmopolitan and widely distributed species. 

 

Remarks: First time reported from Antarctica.

 

 

Order: Dorylaimida Pearse, 1942

Superfamily: DorylaimoideaDe Man, 1876

Family: Qudsianematidae Jairajpuri, 1965

 

Eudorylaimus sabulophilus Tijepkema, Ferris & Ferris, 1971

(Fig. 4)

 

Material examined: 3 females, 23.ii.1999, coll. A. Hussain, Reg.No. IV/2240

Host: Moss and algae at the bank of PDL.

Measurement: Females (3): L = 0.87-0.98mm; a = 17-22; b = 3.47-3.92; c = 17.3-21.7; V = 56-59.

 

Description:

Female: Body slightly curved ventrally upon fixation.  Lips well separated and set off from body by constriction. Odontostyle 17-18 µm long; its aperture 30% of odontostylelength.  Odontophore rod-like 22-24 µm long.  Oesophageal expansion gradual. Basal expanded part of oesophagus occupies 45-47% of oesophageal length.  Reproductive system amphidelphic. Tail dorsally-convex with subacuteor narrow rounded tip.  Tail tip slightly bent ventrally.

Male: Not found.

 

Distribution: USA.

 

Remarks: First time reported from Antarctica.

 

 

Order: AraeolaimidaDe Coninck & Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1933

Superfamily: Plectoidea Örley, 1880

Family: Plectidae Örley, 1880

 

Plectus telekii Mulk & Coomans, 1978

(Fig. 5)

 

Material examined: 6 females, 23.ii.1999, coll. A. Hussain, Reg.No. IV/1925-26.

Host: Moss at the bank of PDL.

Female (5): L = 669µm -794µm a = 18.0-19.0, b = 4.0-4.5, c = 8.0-8.8, c’ = 3.7-5.0, V = 45.2-49.7, Pharynx = 165-186 µm, Anal body diameter =18-22 µm,  Tail length = 79-97 μm

 

Description:

Female: Body medium-sized, arcuate, open C shape upon fixation.  Lip region continuous with body contour. Lips elevated 2.5-3.0 μm long.  Lip region 7-11 μmwide.  Cephalic sensilla setose, 2.0-2.5 μm long. Amphids located 11-14 μmfrom anterior end.  Stoma 19-30 μm long, cheilostom cuticularised.  Nerve ring encircles isthmus. Excretory pore inconspicuous. Intestine granular.  Female reproductive system amphidelphic.  Ovary reflexed.  Vulva slit like.  Uterus without egg.  Vulva-anus distance three times tail length.  Tail cylindrical, arcuate.  Spinneret about 2μm long.

Male: Not found.

 

Distribution: Rajasthan, India

 

Remarks: First report from Antarctica.

 

 

REFERENCES

 

Andrassy, I. (1998). Nematodes in Sixth continent. Journal of Nematode Morphology and Systematics 1: 107-186.

Andrassy, I. (2008). Eudorylaimus species (Nematoda:Dorylaimida) of continental Antarctica. Journal of Nematode Morphology & Systematic 11(1): 49-66.

Bostrom, S. (2005). Nematodes from SirmacherOasis, Dronning, Maud Land, East Antarctica. Russian Journal of Nematology 13: 43-54.

Christy, J.R. & V.G. Perry (1951). Removing nematodes from soil. Proceedings Helminthological Society, Washington 18: 106-108.

Cobb, N.A. (1918). Estimating the NemaPopulation of the Soil. Agricultural Technology Circular I. Bureau of Plant Industry, United States, Department of Agriculture, 48pp.

De Man, J.G. (1904). Nematodes libres. Result. Voyage S.Y. Belegica, Zoologie 55pp.

Ghosh, S.C, A.C. Bulgarin & J. De (2005). Antarctenchus motililus sp. n. (Nematoda:Tylenchida) from SchirmacherOasis, East Antarctica. Journal of Interacademicia 9(3): 367-371.

Gray, N.F. (1975). A preliminary survey of Antarctic nematophagous fungi with reference to temperature tolerance.  BSc. Degree Project Report No. 745/1138. The Polytechnic of Central London, 92pp (unpublished).

Heyns, J. (1993). Eudorylaimus nudicaudatus sp. n. from Antarctica (Nematoda: Dorylaimoidea). South African Journal of Antarctic Research 23: 33-36.

Holdgate, M.W. (ed.) (1970). Antarctic Ecology. London and New York; Academic Press, 998pp (2 volumes). [Proceedings of 2ndSCAR Symposium on Antarctic Biology]

Kito, K., Y. Shishida& Y. Ohyama (1996). A new species of the genus Eudorylaimus Andrassy, 1959 (Nematoda: Qudsianematidae) from East Antarctica. Polar Biology 16: 163-169.

Krijanova, E.S. (1958). Antarkticheskie predsataviteli predstaviteli presnovodnykh nematodroela Plectus Bastian (Nematodes, Plectidae) (Antarctic specimens of freshwater nematodes of the genus Plectus Bastian (Nematoda, plectida).Inf. Byull. Sov. Antarkt.Eksped. No. 3 : 101-03 [English translation Vol. 1, 1964]

Loof, P.A.A. (1975). Dorylaimoidea from some subantarctic islands. Nematologica 21: 219-255.

Seinhorst, J.W. (1959). A rapid method for the transfer of nematodesfrom fixative to anhydrous glycerine. Nematologica 4: 67-69.

Timm, R.W. (1971). Antarctic soil and freshwater nematodes from the Mc Murdo Sound Region. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington 38: 42-52.