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Morphometric and molecular characterization of the species of Uncinaria Frölich, 1789 (Nematoda) parasitic in the Australian fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (Schreber), with notes on hookworms in three other pinniped hosts

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Abstract

This study presents morphological and molecular data on hookworms from the Australian fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (Schreber) currently identified in Australian waters as Uncinaria hamiltoni Baylis, 1933. Additional specimens from the Australian sea lion Neophoca cinerea (Péron) and the New Zealand fur seal Arctocephalus forsteri (Lesson) from Australia, and the Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina (Linnaeus) from Antarctica, were included. Using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), hookworms from A. p. doriferus, N. cinerea and A. forsteri were found to be genetically similar but distinct from Uncinaria spp. found in M. leonina from Antarctica, as well as from Zalophus californianus (Lesson) and Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus) from California. Few morphological differences were detected between these taxa.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Roger Kirkwood, Tony Mitchell, Andrew Hoskins and Parks Victoria for logistical support and assistance in sample collection; Garry Anderson for statistical analysis; Robin Gasser and Matthew Nolan for molecular input; Angela Kapparis for editing assistance; Zoos Victoria, the University of Melbourne Department of Veterinary Science and the Melbourne Zoo veterinary department for logistical and financial support.

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Author notes

  1. Min Hu

    Present address: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan St., Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

  2. Richard Norman

    Present address: Ministry for Primary Industries, Investigation and Diagnostic Centres and Response, PO Box 2526, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoos Victoria, PO Box 74, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    Paul Ramos & Michael Lynch

  2. School of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia

    Min Hu, Richard Norman & Ian Beveridge

  3. School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia

    John P. Y. Arnould

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  1. Paul Ramos
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  2. Michael Lynch
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  3. Min Hu
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  6. Ian Beveridge
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Correspondence to Paul Ramos.

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Ramos, P., Lynch, M., Hu, M. et al. Morphometric and molecular characterization of the species of Uncinaria Frölich, 1789 (Nematoda) parasitic in the Australian fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (Schreber), with notes on hookworms in three other pinniped hosts. Syst Parasitol 85, 65–78 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-013-9407-x

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