1. ACANTHOCEPHALANS OF IRAN, REVIEW WITH NEW RECORDS

2. Sareh Tavakol, Ali Halajian, Omar Amin, Wilmien Luus-Powell
UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO
Department of Biodiversity
School of Molecular and Life Sciences
Sareh Tavakol, Ali Halajian,
Omar Amin, Wilmien Luus-Powell
ACANTHOCEPHALANS OF IRAN, REVIEW WITH NEW RECORDS

3. Phylum Acanthocephala
A cosmopolitan fascinating phylum of parasitic helminths
Can infect wide range of hosts, from vertebrates to crustaceans in their life cycles
Gonochoristic parasites
Lacking a digestive tract in all stages of development
Body divided into the praesoma including the proboscis and neck and the trunk
Proboscis entirely covered with hooks

4. In IRAN :
The fauna of acanthocephalans : represented by 29 species (21 genera, from 12 families)
Reported in different animals (e.g. fishes, birds, carnivores, rodents,…) and even Human

5. Known Species of Acanthocephales of Iranian Fishes
Highest diversity of Acanthocephalans in Fishes species (9 Genera, 7 families)

6. Pomphorhynchus laevis
1- Family: Pomphorhynchide
Reference
Site(s)
Host(s)
Species
Mokhayer, 1980
Mokhayer, 1973
Abdi, 2006
Mokhayer, 2003
Sefid-rud river
Caspian sea
Makoo (West Azerbaijan province)
Urmia
Sefid-rud river fishes
Acipenser stellatus
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Pomphorhynchus laevis
Seighali, 1973
Sefidkar, 1964
Caspin sea
Anzali lagoon
Carp
Sefid-rud fishes
Silurus glanis
Pomphorhynchus perforator
2- Family: Dendronucleatidae
Reference
Site(s)
Host(s)
Species
Jafari, 2001
Mobedi
Zarrineh-rud river
West Azerbaijan porvince
Capoeta capoeta
Leuciscus leuciscus
Silurus glanis
Dendronucleata dogieli
3-Family: Echinorhynchidae
Reference
Site(s)
Host(s)
Species
Mobedi (not reported)
ــــ
Liza abu
Metechinorhynchus sp.
Younesi, 1973
Caspian sea
Esox lucius
Acanthocephalus lucii

7. Corynosoma caspicum strumosum Bolbosoma caenoforme Acipenser stellatus
4- Family : Polymorphidae
Reference
Site(s)
Host(s)
Species
Golvan & Mokayer, 1973
Mokhayer, 1980
Caspian sea
Sefid-rud river
Acipenser stellatus
Acipenser guldenstaedit
Huso huso
Lucioperca lucioperca
Clupeonella sp.
Corynosoma
caspicum
Sefidkar, 1964
Khara, 2004
Sattari, 1999
Ghorughi, 1994
Shamsi, 1995
Andriev, 1989
Niksirat et al., 2006
Daghigh-ruhi & Sattari, 2004
Dogel & Bykhovskaya
Masumzadeh, 2006
Asgharzadeh, 2003
Anzali lagoon(Gilan province)
Chamkhale river
(Gilan province)
Gorgan-rudriver(Golestan pro.)
Silurus glanis
Esox lucius
Acipenser guldenstaedti
Clupeonella cultriventris
Clupeonella engrauliformis
Clupeonella grimmi
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Neogobius fluviatilis
Neogobius kessleri
Neogobius melanostomus
Clupeidae
Acipenser persicus
strumosum
Hosseinifard et al., 2010
Shazdeh river (Babolsar)
Bolbosoma caenoforme

8. Acanthocephalorhynchoides Cholodkowskyi
5- Family: Quadrigyridae
Reference
Site(s)
Host(s)
Species
Mohamadi, 1997
Wiliams, 1980
Williams, 1980
Barzegar & Jalali, 2005
Fadaifard, 2001
Mokhayer, 1997
Shafiee, 2002
Mehdipour, 2006
Kasrayi, 2001
Abdollahi, 2005
Raissy et al., 2011
Mahabad dam lake
(West Azerbaijan province)
Zayande-rud river(Esfehan)
Zayande-rud river
Vahdat dam lake
(Kordestan province)
Choghakhor lagoon
(Chahar-mahal province)
Golestan park river
15 khordad dam lake (Delijan)
Zarrineh-rud river
Zarrineh-rud dam
Gandomanlagoon (Chaharmahal province)
Rutilus rutilus
Capoeta capoeta
Cyprinidae
Capoeta bushei
Capoeta aculeata
Cyprinus carpio
Capoeta aculeate
Capoeta damascina
Carassius carassius
Aphanius vladykovi
Acanthocephalorhynchoides Cholodkowskyi
Sharifrohani, 1995
Hamoun lagoon (Sistan and Baluchestan province)
Schizothorax
pelezami
Acanthocepha-lorhynchoides sp.

9. Neoechinorhynchus rutili
6- Family : Neoechinorhynchidae
Species
Host(s)
Sit(s)
Reference
Neoechinorhynchus rutili
Copoeta capoeta
Cyprinus carpio
Silurus glanis
Barbus sp.
Capoeta capoeta gracilis
Mahabad dam lak
Sarisuu river (West Azerbaijan province)
Zanjan province
Golestan park river
Mohamadi, 1997
Abbasi, 2002
Pazouki, 2004
Kouhestan eskandary, 1998
Neoechinorhynchus tylosuri
Aspius vorax
Liza abu
Barbus sharpeyi
Southern Khuzestan
Hourolazim lagoon (Khuzestan province)
Hourolazim lagoon
Seyedmortazi, 2000
Moghinami, 1995
Neoechinorhynchus sp.
Capoeta trutta
Capoeta capoeta
Capoeta capaeta gracilis
Capoeta sp
Barbus grypus
Parasilurus triostegus
Barbus luteus
Ctenopharyngodon idella
Liza macrolepis
Pseudorhombus arsius
Khoramabad river(Lorestan)
Zarrineh-rud river
(West Azerbaijan province)
Tajan river
Sefid-rud river
Khoramabad river
Khuzestan
Hourolazim
Persian gulf
Peyghan, 2001
Pourzargham, 1994
Shamsi, 1997
Mokhayer, 1980
Hoseini, 2000
Akhavan roufigar, 1991
Tabibi, 2001
Haj-esmael, 1998
Amin, 1984

10. Serrasentis sagittifer
7- Family: Rhadinorhynchiae
Species
Host(s)
Sit(s)
Reference
Leptorhynchoides
plagicephalus
Acipenser stellatus
Acipenser persicus
Acipenser nudiventris
Acipenser guldenstaedti
Huso huso
Caspian sea
Sattari, 1998
Mokhayer, 1973
Khara, 2003
Ghoroughi, 1994
Haji moradloo, 2003
Masumzadeh, 2006
Ebrahimi, 2006
Asgharzadeh, 2003
Serrasentis sagittifer
Nemipterus japonicas
Epinephelus tavina
Coryphaena hippurus
Bothus sp.
Lutjanus coccineous
Lutjanus fulviflammus
Nemipterus japonicus
Nemipterus tolu
Otolithus argenteus
Persian Gulf
Oman sea
Ghaem maghami et al., 2008
Radfar, 1998
Alinezhad & Hosseini, 1998
Amin, 1984
Serrasentis sp.
Epinephelus coioides
Stromateus cinereus
Otolithus rubber
Parastromateus niger
Pomadasys kaakan
Lutjanus malabaricus
Peyghan, 2004
Peyghan, 2006
Mokhayer, 1985
Sclerocolum tubrimaris
Siganus oramin
Rhadinorhynchus sp.
Fish (Unknown)
ـــــــ
Mobedi (not reported)

11. Known species of Acanthocephales of Birds in Iran
Birds with 10 species (8 genera, 5 families) Highest diversity of Acanthocephalans (After Fishes)

12. Hexaglandula mutabilis Plagiorhynchus formous
Species
Host
Site
Reference 1
Polymorphus trucus
Anas playtyrhynchos
Gilan province
Ranjandish, 1971 2
Polymorphus boshadis
Anas crecca 3
Corynosoma tunitae 4
Corynosoma clavatum 5
Pseudorhadinorhynchus markewitschi
Anas platyrhynchos 6
Hexaglandula mutabilis 7
Plagiorhynchus formous
Sturnus vulgaris 8
Esfahan
Pestechian, 1990 9
Mediorhynchus sp.
Galerida cristata
Alauda arvensis
Golestan province
Ghaemi, 2004 10
Centrorhynchus golobocaudatus
Buteo rufinus
Tehran
Borhaniki et al., 2006 11
Polymophus boshadis
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
Abdollahi, 2007 12
Sphaerirostris picae
Pica pica, Corvus corone
Corvus frugilegus
Mazandaran
Amin et al., 2010 13
Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) sp.
Halajian, 2010
(not published)

13. Known species of Acanthocephalans of Carnivores in Iran
Included : 7 species (5 genera, 3 families)

14. Macacanthorhynchus hirudinaceous Corynosoma Centhrorhynchus pinguis
Species
Host
Site
Ref 1
Macacanthorhynchus hirudinaceous
Canis familiaris (Stray dog)
Tehran
Zohoor, 1988 2
Corynosoma
Felis catus
Mazandaran and Gilan provinces
Dalimi, 1989 3
Centhrorhynchus pinguis
Vulpes vulpes
Ardabil province (Arasbaran region)
Zarif fard, 1994 4
Oncicola sp.
Vulpes vulpes, Canis aureus
Wild cat 5
Canis familiaris,
Canis lupus
Canis aureus, Vulpes vulpes 6
Canis familiaris, Canis aureus
Arbabi et al., 2000 7
Corynosoma strumosum
Pusa caspica (Caspian seal)
Gilan province (Caspian sea)
Mazandaran province (Caspian sea)
Kiaii, 2000
Amin et al., 2011 8
Canis aureus
West Azerbaijan, Kordestan and Kermanshah provinces
Sattari, 2001 9
Onicola canis
Iran
Eslami, 2002 10
Pachysentis canicula
Bushehr
Mobedi et al., 2007 11
Khuzestan and Hormozgan provinces
Meshgi et al., 2009 12 13
Pusa caspica
Mazandaran province
(Caspian sea)

15. Included : 1 species (1 genus, 1 family)
Indetified species of Acanthocephalans in Rodents of Iran
Included : 1 species (1 genus, 1 family)
Species
Host
Site
Reference 1
Moniliformis moniliformis
Meriones persicus
Tehran (Telo), Kordestan province (Ekinlo)
Assmar, 1981 2
Rattus spp
Tehran
Mowlavi, 1991 3
Meriones
Kordestan province
Fasihi harandi, 1991
Miley, 1980 4
Meriones libicus
Esfahan
Fasihi harandi, 1992 5
Cricetulus migratorius
Meshkin shahr
Mohebali et al., 1997 6
Khuzestan province
Sadjjadi, 1999 7
Tabriz
Nematollahi et al., 2006 8
Germi (Dashte Moghan)
Kia et al., 2010

16. Identified Species of Acanthocephalans in Human in Iran 1 species (1 genus, 1 family)No
Species
Host
Site
Reference 1
Moniliformis moniliformis
18 months old boy
Zabol city (Sistan and baluchestan province)
Sahba et al., 1970 2
4 months old boy
Esfahan city (Isfahan province)
Moayedi et al., 1971 3
18 months old girl
Zahedan city (Sistan and baluchestan province)
Arab, 1990 4
2 years old girl
Taybad city (Khorasan razavi province)
Berenji et al., 2007 5
Birjand (Khorasan south province)
Salehabadi etal., 2008

17. Known species of Acanthocephalans of Other Animals in Iran
Host
Site
Reference 1
Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus
Sus scrofa
Golestan province
Farsad hamdi, 1979 2
Iran protected areas!
Eslami and Farsad hamdi, 1992 3
Lorestan province
Soleimani mohammadi, 2001 4
Khuzestan province (Shooshtar)
Mowlavi et al., 2006 5
Nephridiorhynchus major
Hemiechinus auritus
Shahrood
Halajian et al., (in press)

18. New Records

19. Report of Sphaerirostris picae (Rudolphi, 1819) (Centrorhynchidae)
Omar M. Amin, Richard A. Heckmann
Ali Halajian,
Ali Eslami

20. At first:
Golvan, 1956 : subgenus of Centrorhynchus Luhe, and included 21 species, with several synonymies.
New Description (Redescription) :
Host : Pica pica (European magpie), Corvus cornix, Corvus corone and Corvus frugilegus (Corvidae)
Locality : wooded areas near the northern Iranian town of Tonekabon by the southern shores of the Caspian Sea

21. Characteres
Trunk cylindrical, slender, spindle shaped, gradually tapering toward both ends, rounded posteriorly
31–38 proboscis hook rows on the ovoid anterior proboscis and 27–36 spine rows on the cylindrical- to cone-shaped posterior proboscis, each with 8–10 hooks and 2–5 spines per row
Differences with Sphaerirostris lancea (Westrumb, 1821) Golvan,1956 and Sphaerirostris pinguis (Van Cleave, 1918) Golvan, 1956 :
Characteristics of proboscis armature,
Position of female gonopore,
Other reproductive system and receptacle features

22. Proboscis of an adult male showing the constriction dividing the anterior proboscis with longitudinal rows of hooks and the posterior proboscis with spines
Optical microscope image of the anterior proboscis (P) and the receptacle process (RP)

23. Histological results :
Hemorrhaging of nucleated red blood cells around the proboscis with a typical granulocyte concentration
Presence of a high granulocyte
The obstruction and blockage of the intestinal lumen
Extension of proboscis of S. picae deep into the layers of the host intestine

24. Report of Nephridiacanthus major (Bremser, 1811 in Westrumb, 1821) Golvan, 1962 (Oligacanthorhynchidae)
RichardA.Heckman Omar M. Amin
Ali Halajian
Atif M. El-Naggar

25. Previous records :
From hedgehogs in Europe, Asia, and Africa
New record, Redescription using SEM for the first time
- Host : The long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus and The Eastern European hedgehog Erinaceus concolor Martin, 1838 (Erinaceidae)

26. Characteres Long robust worms,
claviform anteriorly with 12 near longitudinal rows of 4 hooks
Neck long
Lemnisci long, slender

27. Nephridiacanthus major penetrating intestine

28. Histopathologic results ( for the first time in this study )
extensive damage near the proboscis with hemorrhaging and formation of collagenous connective tissue
compression of the intestinal mucosa
obstruction of intestinal lumen
extensive necrosis of host epithelial tissue

29. Report of Corynosoma strumosum (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) (Rudolphi, 1802) Lühe, 1904
Omar M. Amin
Richard A. Heckmann
Ali Halajian
Atif M. El-Naggar

30. Redescription using SEM and histopathology
Host : Caspian seal, Pusa caspica (Gmelin)
Locality : The southern land-locked Caspian Sea

31. Trunk small, less than 5.00 mm long, bulboid anteriorly and cylindrical with parallel sides posteriorly
Sexual dimorphism slight in trunk size but marked in size of proboscis and proboscis hooks
Proboscis bent ventrally, with 16–18 (usually 16) longitudinal rows of 9–10 (rarely 11) hooks each.

32. Histopathology results :
Hemorrhaging and necrotic epithelial cells around the invading worm with red blood cells free in the host lumen
free blood cells and granulocytes in interstitial spaces and in the lumen. Causing by hemorrhaging of the blood vessels
Host response to the parasite : formation of a capsule around the worm (made of collagenous fibers)

33. Other Records for Iran fauna
- Centrorhynchus spinosus from Tawny Owl
Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) nicobarensis from Common Starling
Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) cylindraceus From Balckbird as new host record