Title
Genetic barcoding of marine leeches (Ozobranchus spp.) from Florida sea turtles and their divergence in host specificity
Abbreviated Journal Title
Mol. Ecol. Resour.
Keywords
cocoon; DNA barcoding; Fibropapillomatosis-associated turtle; herpesvirus; new host record; Ozobranchus branchiatus; Ozobranchus; margoi; sea turtle leech; two species infection; OXIDASE SUBUNIT-I; DEVELOPMENTAL HABITATS; PHYLOGENY; FIBROPAPILLOMATOSIS; PISCICOLIDAE; MORPHOLOGY; HIRUDINEA; SEQUENCES; MEXICO; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology
Abstract
Ozobranchus margoi and Ozobranchus branchiatus are the only two species of marine turtle leeches (Ozobranchus spp.) known to inhabit the Atlantic coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. In early reports of fibropapillomatosis (FP) in green turtles (Chelonia mydas), O. branchiatus was implicated as a vector in the transmission of Fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV). It is imperative that the leech species be identified to elucidate the role Ozobranchus spp. may play in disease transmission. In this study, Ozobranchus branchiatus has been identified for the first time on a loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtle, and the molecular data for this species is now available for the first time in GenBank. Both species of leeches were also found infecting a single C. mydas. Using morphological taxonomy combined with distance- and character-based genetic sequence analyses, this study has established a DNA barcode for both species of Ozobranchus spp. leech and has shown it can be applied successfully to the identification of leeches at earlier stages of development when morphological taxonomy cannot be employed. The results suggest a different haplotype may exist for O. branchiatus leeches found on C. caretta versus C. mydas. Leech cocoon residue collected from a C. mydas was identified using the new method.
Journal Title
Molecular Ecology Resources
Volume
11
Issue/Number
2
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Document Type
Article
Language
English
First Page
271
Last Page
278
WOS Identifier
ISSN
1755-098X
Recommended Citation
"Genetic barcoding of marine leeches (Ozobranchus spp.) from Florida sea turtles and their divergence in host specificity" (2011). Faculty Bibliography 2010s. 1647.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2010/1647
Comments
Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu