A new species of blood fluke (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) from the Malayan Box turtle, cuora amboinensis (Cryptodira: Geomydidae) in Thailand

Vasyl V. Tkach, Scott D. Snyder, Jefferson A. Vaughan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spirhapalum siamensis n. sp. obtained from the heart of the Malayan box turtle, Cuora amboinensis, from western Thailand is described. This blood fluke differs from the 2 previously known species of Spirhapalum in its larger overall body size, constricted mid-body, greater number of pre-ovarian testes, ceca that loop anteriorly from the cecal bifurcation before turning to the posterior, and the relatively smaller size of its ventral sucker. A phylogenetic analysis using molecular characters places the new species in the basal clade of tetrapod blood flukes, more derived than Spirhapalum polesianum, but less derived than Spirorchis spp.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)743-746
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Parasitology
Volume95
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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