Title

Genetic Barcoding Of Marine Leeches (Ozobranchus Spp.) From Florida Sea Turtles And Their Divergence In Host Specificity

Keywords

Cocoon; DNA barcoding; Fibropapillomatosis-associated turtle herpesvirus; New host record; Ozobranchus branchiatus; Ozobranchus margoi; Sea turtle leech; Two species infection

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. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Publication Date

3-1-2011

Publication Title

Molecular Ecology Resources

Volume

11

Issue

2

Number of Pages

271-278

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02946.x

Socpus ID

79751473206 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/79751473206

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