Sumario: |
The digenetic community of 40 green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) was investigated at Tortuguero National Park,
Costa Rica. In total, 24,270 trematodes belonging to 29 species and 6 families including Clinostomidae 1, Microscaphidiidae 5,
Paramphistomidae 2, Pronocephalidae 15, Rhytidodidae 2, and Spirorchiidae 4 were recorded from chelonians examined. Turtles
harbored a mean of 7.63 3.5 SD species. Only 3 species, i.e., Learedius learedi, Microscaphidium reticulare, and Pyelosomum
cochlear, infected more than 50% of the hosts sampled. Learedius learedi was the most prevalent (97.5%) and the second most
abundant species with a mean of 25.6 21.6 SD. Only 1 core species, M. reticulare, was recovered from the gastrointestinal
tract; it was the most abundant parasite, with a mean intensity of 477 1,180 SD, and the second most prevalent (77.5%).
Diversity values ranged from 0.10 to 2.10, with a mean of 1.00 0.43 SD for the total component community and from 0.10
to 1.84, with a mean of 0.79 0.41 SD, for the gastrointestinal component community. Species richness was the highest recorded
from a sea turtle species. All digenetic species were recorded from Costa Rica for the first time. This represents the first report
on the helminth community of the green turtle.
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