Kwak Mackenzie L, Lee Leshon, Okumura Chiharu, Hsu Chia-Da
Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Republic of Singapore.
Department of Conservation, Research and Veterinary Services, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore, 729826, Republic of Singapore.
Acta Parasitol. 2020 Mar;65(1):264-270. doi: 10.2478/s11686-019-00144-7. Epub 2019 Nov 20.
Co-invasion of naïve ecosystems by non-native parasites is a serious threat to global biodiversity, though such events are difficult to detect early in the invasion process. Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) are an emerging invasive species and have colonised several countries in the Asia-Pacific. A survey was undertaken to determine whether parasites of the green iguana had co-invaded naïve ecosystems with their introduced host.
Over a 10-month period, wild green iguanas were trapped and euthanised in Singapore. All animals were necropsied and sampled for parasites. Parasites were then identified morphologically and subsequently characterised molecularly at the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) locus.
The reptile nematode Ozolaimus megatyphlon was found in 38% of the sampled green iguanas, with burdens of 100 + worms in all infected animals. This represents the first recorded co-invasion of this species with wild green iguanas in the Asia-Pacific. Based on the molecular characterisation of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) locus, the first DNA barcode is provided for O. megatyphlon.
For the first time, the reptile nematode Ozolaimus megatyphlon is shown to be invasive and to have colonised the Asia-Pacific region with its introduced host, the green iguana. The DNA barcode provided here will facilitate future monitoring programmes as O. megatyphlon invades new habitats and countries.
非本地寄生虫对原始生态系统的共同入侵是对全球生物多样性的严重威胁，尽管此类事件在入侵过程早期难以察觉。绿鬣蜥（Iguana iguana）是一种新兴的入侵物种，已在亚太地区的多个国家定居。开展了一项调查，以确定绿鬣蜥的寄生虫是否与其引入的宿主共同入侵了原始生态系统。
在10个月的时间里，在新加坡捕获野生绿鬣蜥并实施安乐死。对所有动物进行尸检并采集寄生虫样本。然后对寄生虫进行形态学鉴定，并随后在细胞色素c氧化酶I（COI）基因座进行分子特征分析。
在38%的采样绿鬣蜥中发现了爬行动物线虫巨盲奥佐线虫（Ozolaimus megatyphlon），所有感染动物体内的虫负荷量均为100条及以上。这是该物种与野生绿鬣蜥在亚太地区首次有记录的共同入侵。基于细胞色素c氧化酶I（COI）基因座的分子特征分析，首次提供了巨盲奥佐线虫的DNA条形码。
首次证明爬行动物线虫巨盲奥佐线虫具有入侵性，并与其引入的宿主绿鬣蜥一起在亚太地区定居。随着巨盲奥佐线虫入侵新的栖息地和国家，此处提供的DNA条形码将有助于未来的监测计划。
