Acute and chronic effects of acidic pH on four subtropical frog species

Acidic precipitation is implicated as a possible cause of global amphibian decline. Even protected areas such as Kruger National Park receive acid rain which may lead to possible negative effects on the park’s natural amphibian populations. We conducted acute (LC50) and chronic acid tolerance bioassays on embryos and tadpoles of four frog species found in the park, i.e., Chiromantis xerampelina (Southern Foam Nest Frog), Pyxicephalus edulis (African Bullfrog), Amietophrynus maculatus (Flat-backed Toad) and Hildebrandtia ornata (Ornate Frog), using survival, deformities and growth as endpoints. Chronic exposure pH-values were selected based on the results of the acute assays. Trimmed Spearman-Karber LC50s were 4.07, 4.55, 3.75 and 3.747 for C. xerampelina, P. edulis, A. maculatus and H. ornata, respectively, and were all below the pHs in the natural ponds of the KNP. For chronic exposures tadpole size decreased and tadpole deformities increased with decreasing pH. Metamorphosis of tadpoles was also delayed by increasing acidity. In conclusion, the current buffering capacity of water bodies, which serve as habitat for amphibians, negates the effects of decreasing pH from acid precipitation.Keywords: low pH, acid precipitation, amphibians, mortality, developmental deformities, delayed metamorphosis, Kruger National Par

Cymothoa hermani sp. nov. (Isopoda, Cymothoidae, Crustacea), a parasitic isopod, collected off the Zanzibar coast, Tanzania from the mouth of a parrotfish (Scaridae)

Cymothoa hermani sp. nov., a buccal fish-parasitic isopod is described from off Unguja Island, Zanzibar, from the buccal cavity of the marbled parrotfish, Leptoscarus vaigiensis. Cymothoa hermani sp. nov. is characterised by the unique bulbous ornamentation on pereonite 1, anterolateral angles on pereonite 1 rounded and produced past frontal margin of cephalon, and pereopods with long and slender dactyli. There are no other species of Cymothoa known from parrotfishes. This description increases the number of known Cymothoa from the southwestern Indian Ocean to four

Novel Information on the Morphology, Phylogeny and Distribution of Camallanid Mematodes from Marine and Freshwater Hosts in South Africa, Including the Description of \u3ci\u3eCamallanus sodwanaensis\u3c/i\u3e n. sp.

Four species of previously known nematodes from the family Camallanidae were found from different hosts in South Africa: Batrachocamallanus xenopodis from the frog Xenopus muelleri, Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, and Procamallanus pseudolaeviconchus from the catfish Clarias gariepinus and Spirocamallanus daleneae from the catfish Synodontis zambezensis. In the material collected from various marine fishes, several specimens of nematodes from the genus Camallanus clearly differed from all previously known species. Based on morphological differences these specimens are assigned to a new species, C. sodwanaensis. Molecular data of 18S and 28S rDNA and COI sequences are provided for the collected species and a phylogenetic analyses based on 28S gene fragments are presented

Life cycle of Hepatozoon affluomaloti sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) in crag lizards (Sauria: Cordylidae) and in culicine mosquitoes from South Africa.

A new haemogregarine species Hepatozoon affluomaloti sp. n. is described from erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of crag lizards Pseudocordylus melanotus (Smith) and Pseudocordylus subviridis (Smith) (Sauria: Cordylidae) from mountainous regions in the Eastern Free State, South Africa. This species can be distinguished from all other congeners based on its large size, staining properties and life cycle development in its vector, Culex (Afroculex) lineata (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae). Mature gamonts stain mostly uniformly pinkish-purple with Giemsa, sometimes containing darker azurophilic granules anterior and posterior to the nucleus. The reflexed posterior extremity of the gamont stage sometimes stains slightly deeper purple and the nucleus is dense and placed in the posterior third of the parasite body. Merogonic stages of this haemogregarine occur in the liver tissues of P. melanotus with dizoic meronts. Macromeronts contains 2-7 macromerozoites and micromeronts contains 9-24 micromerozoites. Sporogonic developmental stages found in the proposed final host and vector, C. lineata, include large oocysts, measuring 54 × 48 µm on average. Sporulating oocysts with 8 nuclei are present in mosquitoes 6-7 days post-feeding on infected lizards. Sporocysts with mature sporozoites measure 31.0 × 21.8 µm on average and each contains 2-8 large sporozoites. It is suggested that transmission of infective sporozoites is achieved through predation of lizards on mosquitoes

Shower water usage in Kruger National Park tourist accommodation : effectiveness of technology and information intervention to reduce use

Human freshwater consumption continues to be a growing global concern. Research and implementation of interventions on multiple fronts are required to safeguard this critical resource. Household water consumption is a significant contributor to overall freshwater use. Such indoor water use in nature-based tourism presents a challenge to this industry, but also provides opportunities to influence human behaviour and experimenting with, and mainstreaming, new technologies promoting water conservation and sustainability. Here we assess interventions to one significant source of water use (showers) in tourist accommodation in a popular nature-based tourism destination, the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Control trials utilizing information interventions (to induce behavioural change), and a novel shower technology, are implemented to identify water saving opportunities. We show that technological intervention (installation of Triton Xerophyte®) results in ∼30% overall water saving as compared to control showers. Adding water-saving infographics slightly enhances this saving, but is shown to have limited success when implemented in isolation (i.e. without the technology). In addition, we show how shower duration and water usage is related to ambient temperature, with the Triton Xerophyte® resulting in increasing water savings under cooler ambient conditions (up to ∼50% water reduction for ambient temperatures <5 °C). Encouragingly, visitors to this national park are shown to use less shower water and shower for shorter, even in control units, as compared to the general public, suggesting that these nature-based tourists may already be more mindful of water usage. Nature-based tourism agencies have a responsibility to promote water saving behaviour, and implementing technology and providing information and awareness in aid thereof may act as a catalyst for broader water-conservation in society.https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/journal/ewhj2023Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Two new species and new host and distribution records of Gnathia Leach, 1814 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Gnathiidae) from Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Gnathia antennacrassa sp. nov. from seagrass beds off Rottnest Island, Western Australia is the first record of any gnathiid from the entirety of Western Australia; the male can be distinguished from congeners by the stout peduncular articles of the antenna. Gnathia taurus sp. nov. is described from two adult specimens reared from praniza larvae found infecting elasmobranch fishes at Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef; the males can be distinguished from all congeners by the dorsally strongly elongate mandibles and smoothly rounded mediofrontal process on the anterior part of cephalosome. Gnathia aff. maculosa Ota &amp;amp; Hirose, 2009 is recorded from Australia, together with further records of G. trimaculata Coetzee, Smit, Grutter &amp;amp; Davies, 2009 and G. grandilaris Coetzee, Smit, Grutter &amp;amp; Davies, 2008, all from elasmobranch fishes

Monophyly of the species of Hepatozoon (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) parasitizing (African) anurans, with the description of three new species from hyperoliid frogs in South Africa

Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleiorina) are a diverse group of haemoparasites reported from almost all vertebrate classes. The most commonly recorded haemogregarines to parasitize anurans are species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908. To date 16 Hepatozoon species have been described from anurans in Africa, with only a single species, Hepatozoon hyperolli (Hoare, 1932), infecting a member of the Hyperoliidae. Furthermore, only two Hepatozoon species are known from South African anurans, namely Hepatozoon theileri (Laveran, 1905) and Hepatozoon ixoxo Netherlands, Cook and Smit, 2014, from Amietia delalandii (syn. Amietia quecketti) and three Sclerophrys species, respectively. Blood samples were collected from a total of 225 individuals representing nine hyperoliid species from several localities throughout northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Twenty frogs from three species were found positive for haemogregarines, namely Afrixalus fornasinii (6/14), Hyperolius argus (2/39), and Hyperolius marmoratus (12/74). Based on morphological characteristics, morphometrics and molecular findings three new haemogregarine species, Hepatozoon involucrum Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp., Hepatozoon tenuis Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp. and Hepatozoon thori Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp., are described from hyperoliid hosts. Furthermore, molecular analyses show anuran Hepatozoon species to be a separate monophyletic group, with species isolated from African hosts forming a monophyletic clade within this cluster.Peer reviewe

Conserving Freshwater Biodiversity in an African Subtropical Wetland: South Africa’s Lower Phongolo River and Floodplain

Freshwater biodiversity is under constant threat from a range of anthropogenic stressors. Using South Africa’s Phongolo River and floodplain (PRF) as a study case, the aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the conservation and management of freshwater biodiversity in a highly diverse subtropical ecosystem. The PRF is the largest floodplain system in South Africa which is severely threatened by irregularly controlled flood releases from a large upstream dam, prolonged drought, deteriorating water quality, organic pollutants and the increasing dependence of the local communities. Based on a decade of survey of the PRF conducted from 2010 to 2020, this chapter highlights the current diversity of aquatic organisms (invertebrates, fishes, frogs and their parasitic fauna), followed by an overview of their biological and physical stressors. The current challenges in the management of the aquatic biodiversity of this region and a way forward to conservation strategies are also addressed in this chapter

Monophyly of the species of Hepatozoon

Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleiorina) are a diverse group of haemoparasites reported from almost all vertebrate classes. The most commonly recorded haemogregarines to parasitize anurans are species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908. To date 16 Hepatozoon species have been described from anurans in Africa, with only a single species, Hepatozoon hyperolli (Hoare, 1932), infecting a member of the Hyperoliidae. Furthermore, only two Hepatozoon species are known from South African anurans, namely Hepatozoon theileri (Laveran, 1905) and Hepatozoon ixoxo Netherlands, Cook and Smit, 2014, from Amietia delalandii (syn. Amietia quecketti) and three Sclerophrys species, respectively. Blood samples were collected from a total of 225 individuals representing nine hyperoliid species from several localities throughout northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Twenty frogs from three species were found positive for haemogregarines, namely Afrixalus fornasinii (6/14), Hyperolius argus (2/39), and Hyperolius marmoratus (12/74). Based on morphological characteristics, morphometrics and molecular findings three new haemogregarine species, Hepatozoon involucrum Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp., Hepatozoon tenuis Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp. and Hepatozoon thori Netherlands, Cook and Smit n. sp., are described from hyperoliid hosts. Furthermore, molecular analyses show anuran Hepatozoon species to be a separate monophyletic group, with species isolated from African hosts forming a monophyletic clade within this cluster.Peer reviewe