Presswell B, Bennett J
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Syst Parasitol. 2025 Mar 1;102(2):26. doi: 10.1007/s11230-025-10219-x.
This study describes Renicola websterae n. sp., a newly identified kidney fluke (Renicolidae: Trematoda) infecting two penguin species from New Zealand, the little blue penguin (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) and the Fiordland crested penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus). Morphological and molecular analyses, including phylogenies based on cox1 and 28S genes, confirmed the distinctiveness of R. websterae. Key morphological features were discerned to be statistically comparable across five developmental stages, facilitating detailed characterization even in less mature specimens. A putative second, genetically distinct Renicola sp. was identified in Fiordland crested penguins and intermediate fish hosts, indicating a potential trophic link, and partly completing the known life cycle. We discuss the fact that kidney flukes have only been found in these two penguins and not in other New Zealand species, and the ecological and host-specificity factors likely influencing parasite distribution. This work represents the first record of a named Renicola species from New Zealand and only the second species found in penguins worldwide.
本研究描述了新发现的肾吸虫——韦伯氏肾吸虫（Renicola websterae）新种，它感染了来自新西兰的两种企鹅，即小蓝企鹅（Eudyptula novaehollandiae）和峡湾冠企鹅（Eudyptes pachyrhynchus）。形态学和分子分析，包括基于cox1和28S基因的系统发育分析，证实了韦伯氏肾吸虫的独特性。在五个发育阶段识别出关键形态特征在统计学上具有可比性，即使在不太成熟的标本中也便于进行详细特征描述。在峡湾冠企鹅和中间鱼类宿主中鉴定出一种假定的、基因上不同的肾吸虫物种，这表明存在潜在的营养联系，并部分完成了已知的生命周期。我们讨论了仅在这两种企鹅中发现肾吸虫而未在其他新西兰物种中发现的事实，以及可能影响寄生虫分布的生态和宿主特异性因素。这项工作代表了来自新西兰的一种命名肾吸虫物种的首次记录，也是全球仅在企鹅中发现的第二个物种记录。
