Authors

Discussion

Amphibians act as hosts to a variety of parasite groups including cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans, monogenetic flukes, digenetic flukes, acari and protozoans. However, of all parasite groups infecting amphibians, the protozoan gut ciliates are perhaps the most abundant, yet understudied group. 

Even in the case of one of the world’s most widely distributed amphibian invaders and well-known model animal, the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802) (Anura: Pipidae), the study of protozoan symbionts has fallen behind that of its metazoan counterparts. Previous studies documenting intestinal ciliates of amphibians from South Africa are limited and employ outdated taxonomic techniques. These studies primarily dealt with the systematics of ciliate groups, rarely identifying ciliates below the genus level. Consequently, difficulties arise when rectal endociliate assemblages are compared among populations of the host, in their native range as well as elsewhere.

Therefore, the aim of this study was to document the gut ciliate diversity of Xenopus laevis by using an integrated taxonomic approach. For the first time, the ciliates of an African anuran were studied both morphologically and molecularly through modern as well as classical techniques. These techniques include differential interference contrast advanced microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, silver impregnation, haematoxylin staining and DNA barcoding.

Ultimately, this integrated approach will ease future ciliate identification in other anuran hosts and allow a better understanding of the host-parasite relationships, ecological role and diversity of ciliates in a globally invasive species.