There are many species of Nematomorpha which are deficiently described and therefore pose doubts about their actual taxonomic position. This is the case with Spinochordodes tellinii (Camerano, 1888), which was transferred to four different genera and has been recently considered as species incertae sedis. A female of Spinochordodes tellinii is redescribed in this work under light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Cuticle details, shapes and areolar distribution and the features as well as the location of spiniform structures are analysed. The systematic position is discussed.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Villalobos, Leonor Cristina de

Zanca, Fernanda Mariel

Parasite

English

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Artide available at http://www.parasite-journal.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/200209171
Scanning electron microscopy of Spinochordodes tellinii 
(Camerano, 1888), (Gordiacea, Nematomorpha)
DE VILLALOBOS L.C.* & ZANCA F.*
L
Summary:
There are many species of Nematomorpha which are deficiently 
described and therefore pose doubts about their actual taxonomic 
position. This is the case with Spinochordodes tellinii (Camerano, 
1 888), which was transferred to four different genera and has 
been recently considered as species incertae sedis. A female of 
Spinochordodes tellinii is redescribed in this work under light 
microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Cuticle details, 
shapes and areolar distribution and the features as well as the 
location of spiniform structures are analysed. The systematic 
position is discussed.
KEY WORDS : Nematomorpha, Gordiacea, Spinochordodes tellinii, 
redescription.
Résumé : Microscopie à balayage de Spinochordodes tellinii 
(Camerano, 1888), (Gordiacea, Nematomorpha)
De nombreuses especes de Nematomorpha sont insuffisamment 
décrites ce qui pose des problèmes sur leur validité et leur position 
systématique. C'est le cas de Spinochordodes tellinii ¡Camerano, 
1888) qui a été rattaché à quatre genres différents et considéré 
récemment comme espèce incertae sedis. Dans ce travail, une 
femelle de S. tellinii est redécrite en utilisant le microscope optique 
et le microscope à balayage. Des details sur la cuticule, la forme, 
la distribution aréolaire et la localisation des structures spmiformes 
sont donnés. La position systématique de l’espèce est discutée.
MOTS CLES : Nematomorpha, Gordiacea, Spinochordodes tellinii, 
redescription.
The systematic study of Gordiacea is mainly based, specially in male specimens, on the features of the posterior end and on the cuticular structures of the body wall. In the past, the studies on these 
worms were realised under light microscopy, being 
among the most important works are Camerano (1897, 
1915); Müller (1927); Dorier (1930) and Heinze (1937). 
Although most of these works are excellent with very 
accurate descriptions of different species, there are some 
which pose doubts on the actual existence of some spe­
cies. Such is the case with Spinochordodes tellinii (Came­
rano, 1888), drawn and described inadequately, with 
scarce details and therefore considered as an uncertain 
species by Schmidt-Rhaesa (1997). In this work we 
study Spinochordodes tellinii under light microscopy 
and scanning electron microscopy which allowed us to 
analyse details of the cuticular features and of the pos­
terior end. Its systematic position is also discussed.
MATERIALS ANDMETHODS 
The material studied in this paper belongs to the collection of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelie - Biologie parasitaire, Protistologie,
• Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de 
La Plata. Paseo del Bosque S/N 1900. La Plata, Argentina. 
Correspondence: de Villalobos C.
Fax: 54 221 4 833871 - E-mail: villalo@museo.fcnym.unlp.edu.ar 
Helminthologie - Paris. Fragments of cuticle from the 
medial part of the body were extracted from specimens 
in order to be examined through light microscopy. The 
cuticle fragments were washed in lactophenol for 24 
hours, mounted and observed with Wild Mka 2 micro­
scope after cleaning and removing the remains of 
muscular tissue.
To examine specimens by scanning electron micro­
scopy (SEM), fragments of worms (mid-body, poste­
rior and anterior end) were dehydrated in an increa­
sing ethanol series. They were critical point dried, 
mounted on a stub, metalled with gold-argon, observed 
and photographed with Jeol SLM 1000 SEM.
RESULTS
Spinochordodes tellinii (Camerano, 1888)
GJordius tellinii, Camerano. Bollettino Musei ■ Zoologia Anatomia Comparata Reale Univer­sità Torino, 1888. 3 (42), 1-10.Chordodes baeri Camerano. Annals Musei Zoologia 
Accademia Imperiale, St. Petersbourg, 1896. 1, 117-125. 
Chordodes tellinii Camerano. Memoire delle Reale Acca­
demia delle Scienze di Torino. 1897, 47, 339-419. 
Spinochordodes tellinii Kirjanova. Trudy Zoologi- 
cheskogo Instituía Akademii Nauk, SSSR, 1950, 9, 255- 
280.
Parasite, 2002, 9, 71-74 Note "de recherche 71
DE VILLALOBOS L.C. & ZANCA F
Spinochordodes baeri (partim) Kirjanova. Trudy Zoo- 
logicheskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk. SSSR, 1950, 9, 
255-280
Spinochordodes cameranoi (partim) Kirjanova. Trudy 
Zoologischeskogo Instituta Akademii Nauk, SSSR, 1950, 
9, 255-280.
Neochordodes tellinii Heinze. Zeitschrift für Parasiten­
kunde, 1952, 15, 183-202.
Neochordodes haeri Heinze. Zeitschrift für Parasiten­
kunde, 1952, 15, 183-202.
Pantachordodes tellinii Heinze. Zeitschrift für Parasi­
tenkunde, 1954. 16, 92.
Redescription
Female: light brown, anterior end thinner towards the 
apex. The dark ring separating the calotte from the 
body is not observed. Subterminal mouth, posterior 
end rounded (Fig. 1), 531 pm diameter. Terminal cen­
tral cloacal opening surrounded by a smooth cuticle 
with scarcely scattered bristles. The cuticle, under LM, 
covered with low and irregular areoles oriented trans­
versally along the longitudinal axis of the body, 
groups of spiniform projections scattered around. 
Under SEM, the cuticle shows two areolar types, one 
type covering most of the body surface and the 
other forming groups. First type areoles (Figs 2A and 
3A) are low (3.1 pm), most of them of irregular shape 
and others pentagonal or hexagonal, longer than 
wide measuring (n = 10) 9.2-20.5 pm (average 13.4) 
in length and 5.8-13.2 pm in width (average 9.3). 
Lateral margins smooth. Areolar surface structured 
with two different types of bristles, one being small, 
sharp and pointed and the other longer and blunt 
ended (Fig. 3). Bristles in the interareolar furrow are 
rare. The second areolar type (Figs 2B, 4B and 5) is 
formed by areoles 5.2 pm high forming irregular 
groups (nine to 20 areoles) scattered among the first 
type areoles. These areoles are not well defined, with 
limits very difficult to determine, sometimes resem­
bling a cuticular folding. Their surface shows long 
bristles (n = 10) 4.1-8.5 pm high (average 6.9), 4.7 pm 
wide or 1.1 pm thin. These disorderly distributed 
bristles are either lined on the areolar surface or for­
ming a circle in the periphery of the areole superior 
margin (Fig. 4). Distal ends of bristles (Figs 2, 4 and 
5) can be pointed, rounded or bifurcated, some of 
them with a wide base with branches towards the 
apex, like a tree. They are hyaline and clearer than 
areoles.
Material examined: one female 180 mm long and 0.75 mm 
wide.
Locality: Availles Limorgines, Viena det. Dorier, col. 
Constancin. Deposited at the Muséum national d’his­
toire naturelle. Biologie Parasitaire, Protistologie, Hel­
minthologie. Paris. Boccal 288 No. 40.
DISCUSSION
Camerano (1888) describes the species Gordius tellinii with four female specimens from Rio For- garia, Italy, noting that the cuticular stratum presents groups of long projections which seem to 
emerge from modified areoles and considering the 
cuticle with affinities to the Chordodes species. Romer 
(1896) considers it as an uncertain species on the 
basis of an insufficient description. Camerano (1897), 
describes one male and one female specimen from the 
Caspian Sea region and two males and one female 
from Scala di Giacca, Sardinia. He considers that these 
specimens, together with the Italian specimens, due to 
the features of the cuticle and of the posterior end of 
males, not tabulated (as in Gordius), but rounded, should 
be transferred to the genus Chordodes. However, the 
description he makes on the cuticular structures of the 
specimens from the Caspian Sea region, as regards 
areole shape and distribution of tubercles or bristles, 
differs from the description of the specimens from Italy 
and Sardinia. In the same study Chordodes haeri Came­
rano, 1896 is synonymized with C. tellinii. Kirjanova 
(1950) describes the genus Spinochordodes and consi­
ders S. tellinii as a type species probably on the basis 
of the specimens from Italy and Sardinia. Likewise, she 
includes the female specimen of C. haeri and the female 
of C. tellinii from the Caspian Sea region under the 
name of 5. baeri and the male specimens of C. haeri 
and C. tellinii also from the Caspian Sea region, under 
a new species, .S’, cameranoi.
Heinze (1952), probably unaware of Kirjanova’s work, 
separates and relocates these species (C. haeri and 
C. tellinii) in a new genus: Neochordodes, even though 
he considers that they are very similar and therefore 
it is difficult to separate them. In 1954. Heinze, after 
recognising his mistake when designating his new 
genus as Neochordodes, a name that had been pre­
viously used by Carvalho (1942) to describe an Ame­
rican genus, changes it to Pantachordodes.
Our studies under SEM lead us to agree with the dia­
gnostic characters described by Kirjanova (1950) for 
Spinochordodes and with the trasference of the speci­
mens cited within this genus. Spinochordodes has cuti­
cular characteristics different from Chordodes because 
Chordodes show various well defined areolar types 
where crown areoles with long spiniform processes ari­
sing from the areolar centre (de Villalobos & Miralles, 
199"7) stand out.
On the other hand, the cuticle in S. tellinii has two 
types of areoles that are not well defined, with bristles 
never arising from the areolar centre but disorderly dis­
tributed. Kirjanova (1950) describes the cuticular fea­
tures of S. haeri (Camerano, 1896) and S. cameranoi 
(Kirjanova, 1950) which differ from the features of
72- Note de recherche Parasite, 2002, 9. 71-74
Scanning electron microscopy of SpimSchordooes TEiuxn
Figs 1-5. - Scanning electron micrograph of Spinocbor- 
dodes tellinii.
1. Posterior end of the female. Bar = 100 pm.
2. General view of the cuticle. Bar = 100 pm
3. Detail of different types of bristles on the areoles of first 
type surface. Bar = 10 pm.
4-5. Lateral view of the areoles of the second type showing 
different distribution of the bristles. Bars = 10 pm. A: areoles 
of the first type, B: areoles of the second type, br: bristles, 
co: cloacal opening.
Parasite, 2002, 9, 71-74 Note de recherche 73
DE VILLALOBOS L.C. & ZANCA F.
S. tellinii, by two well defined areolar types. In S', baeri 
the first type areoles are low and covered by nume­
rous bristles. The second type of areoles forms groups 
of three, four, six, or seven high areoles with a superior 
border with granule or small spines on its edges in a 
circular shape. These areoles have a slight, long pro­
jection which can be found in the middle of the 
groups or outside, among the first type areoles.
S. cameranoi has high first type areoles, polygonal and 
elongated, two times longer than wide, with six to 10 
small bristles on their surface. The second type areoles 
are very high, forming groups of 15-20 to 35 areoles 
although some of them can be found isolated. They 
have very long projections with a truncated apex. 
The female from Viena that we have described has the 
same features as the females from Rio Forgaria, Italy, 
so we consider that it belongs to S. tellinii. We also 
enlarge the distribution of this species for Europe.
We consider that further ultrastructural studies are 
necessary on S. baeri and S. cameranoi in order to 
compare them to 5. tellinii and thus confirm its real 
status.
Heinze K. Die Saitenwürmer (Gordioidea) Deutschland. Eine 
systematisch-faunistische Studie über Insektenparasiten 
aus der Gruppe der Nematomorpha. Zeitschrift für Para­
sitenkunde, 1937, 9, 263-344.
Heinze K. Über Gordioidea, eine systematische Studie über 
Insektenparasiten aus der Gruppe der Nematomorpha. 
Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde, 1952, 15, 183-202.
Heinze K. Bemerkungen zur Systematik der Gordioidea. Zeit­
schrift für Parasitenkunde, 1954. 16. 92.
Kirjanova E.S. Nematomorpha from the basin of the river 
Serawshan. Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta Akademii 
Nauk SSSR, 1950. 9, 255-280.
Muller G.W. Über Gordiaceen. Zeitschrift für Morphologie 
und Ökologie der Tiere, 1927, 7, 134-219.
Romer F. Gordiiden. Abhandlungen der Senckenhergtschen 
Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, 1896, 23, 247-295.
Schmidt-Rhaesa A. Nematomorpha. In Schwoerbel J. & Zwick P. 
(eds.). Süsswasserfauna von Mitteleuropa 4/4 Stuttgart, 
G. Fischer Verlag, 1997.
Reçu le 21 juin 2001 
Accepté le 19 décembre 2001
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We greatly appreciate the help of Jean-Lou Jus­tine from Museum national d’histoire natu­relie - Biologie parasitaire, Protistologie, Helminthologie - Paris, France for loaning the speci­
men of 5. tellinii and giving permission to prepare this 
material for SEM. We like to thank P. Sarmiento from 
Electron Microscopic Service, Museum of Natural 
Sciences, National University of La Plata for prepara­
tion of the material.
REFERENCES
Camerano L. Ricerche sopra i Gordii d’ Europa e descrizione 
di due nuove specie. Bollettino Musei Zoologia Anatomia 
Comparata Reale Università Torino, 1888. 3 (42), 1-10.
Camerano L. Monografia dei Gordii. Mémoire delle Reale 
Accademia delle Scienze di Tonno, 1897, 47, 339-419.
Camerano L. Revisione dei Gordii. Memonadelle Reale Acca­
demia delle Scienze di Torino, 1915, 66, 1-66.
Carvalho J.M.C. Studies on some Gordiacea of North and 
South America. Journal of Parasitology, 1942. 28, 213-222.
De Villalobos C. & Miralles D.B. Una nueva especie de Chor- 
dodes (Gordiaceo Nematomorpha) parasita de Blaptica sp. 
(Blaberidae, Blataria). Proceedings of Musei de Ctencias y 
tecnologia. Pontificia Universidade Católica, Série Zoo­
logia, 1997, 10, 45-51.
Dorier A. Recherches biologiques et systématiques sur les 
Gordiacés. Travaux du Laboratoire d'hydrobiologie et de 
Pisciculture de ¡'Université de Grenoble, 1930, 22, 1-183.
74 Note de recherche Parasite, 2002, 9, 71-74


Scanning electron microscopy of Spinochordodes tellinii (Camerano, 1888), (Gordiacea, Nematomorpha)

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Scanning electron microscopy of Spinochordodes tellinii (Camerano, 1888), (Gordiacea, Nematomorpha)

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