Meeting Abstract
Parasitic acanthocephalan species have complex life cycles utilizing both intermediate and final hosts. These parasites have deleterious health impacts on their vertebrate hosts, including lethal peritonitis in some genera. Given the morphological similarity of these parasites, molecular analysis improves our understanding of their diversity and distribution. Dried acanthocephalan samples from necropsied Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) and sea birds (Melanitta perspicillata, Phalacrocorax penicillatus, and Podiceps nigricollis) were obtained from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) and nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) sequences were obtained and used to identify genera. Eighteen acanthocephalan samples from eleven otters were successfully sequenced. Corynosoma sp. were identified in fourteen samples, and Profilicollis sp. were identified in three. One otter had both Corynosoma sp. and Profilicollis sp. present. Samples from six individual birds were used to identify Pseudocorynosoma sp. (n=2), Corynosoma sp. (n=2), and Profilicollis sp. (n=2). These results demonstrate the ability of molecular sequencing to confirm or refute identification by morphological methods. A re-examination of morphological characters in light of molecular data may provide new insights into morphological traits that are most robust for future identification, or indicate species that will be best served by molecular analysis.
