Geo&Bio (Jul 2021)
The current state and specifics of taxonomic structure of trematodes of freshwater molluscs in the Ukrainian Polissia
Abstract
The paper presents results on the analysis of the taxonomic structure of the trematode fauna of the Ukrainian Polissia. It was found that the trematode fauna of freshwater molluscs in the Ukrainian Polissia is represented by 62 species. We supplemented the species composition of larvae of trematodes in the region with 23 species, 13 of which were first recorded in Ukraine. The results showed that the number of trematode species the definitive hosts of which are fishes have decreased. According to the obtained data, the most abundant trematode species of freshwater molluscs in the Ukrainian Polissia are those of the families Echinostomatidae, Plagiorchiidae, Diplostomidae, and Notocotylidae. The combined analysis of literature and original data revealed that in the basis of the regional trematode fauna of molluscs are species of the families Echinostomatidae (13 species) and Plagiorchiidae (10 species), which make up almost one-third of the total number of trematode larvae detected. A quite large portion of larvae belong to species of the families Notocotylidae (8 species), Strigeidae (7 species), Diplostomidae (5 species), and Haematolechidae (5 species). Most families (Diplodiscidae, Opisthorchiidae, Leucochloridiomorphidae, Prostogonimidae, Cathaemasiidae, Cyclocoelidae, Prohemistomatidae, and others) are represented only by 1–2 species. In freshwater molluscs of the studied region, we have found only 38 % of trematode species recorded in definitive hosts. Species found in vertebrate animals of the region potentially can also occur in intermediate hosts, but most of these species parasitize in birds that could be infected in other areas. When comparing the taxonomic structure of the trematode fauna of the Polissia with other well-studied regions of Ukraine (Northern Pryazovia and Crimea), some specifics were noted between them. In particular, it was found that the most abundant trematode species in the region as well as in the whole of Ukraine are those of the families Echinostomatidae, Plagiorchiidae, Diplostomidae, Notocotylidae, and Strigeidae. The obtained data allow considering that the trematode fauna of freshwater gastropods of the Ukrainian Polissia is an integral part of the Central European fauna of trematodes.
Keywords
