Meeting Abstract
Larvae (cercariae) of digenean trematodes were discovered in sponges of the genus Spongia from a nearshore habitat in the Florida Keys. Digenean trematodes (Phylum: Platyhelminthes; Class: Trematoda; Subclass: Digenea) are obligate endoparasitic flatworms with complex multi-host life cycles. The intermediate larval stages of digeneans are typically found in marine invertebrates, and the adult worms always parasitize a vertebrate definitive host. Typically, transmission to the definitive host involves a link in the food chain – i.e., the definitive host’s diet regularly includes the second intermediate host organism. Trematodes have not yet been documented in association with sponges from previous literature. This is an exploratory study of the larval trematode stage present in the sponge microenvironment. The goals of this poster presentation are: (1) provide preliminary data on the phylogenetic classification of these trematodes, obtained through 28S rDNA sequencing (2) document morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of the cercarial stage, obtained through light and electron microscopy.
