Coccidia (Eimeriidae) of Marine Mammals
(cetacea, pinnepeds, sirenia)

Compiled by
Donald W. Duszynski1, Steve J. Upton2, and Lee Couch1

1Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
2Division of Biology, Kansas State University

Supported by NSF-PEET DEB 9521687

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Copyright 1998. Material at this site is intellectual property and is protected by the International Berne Convention Treaty and by copyright laws of the United States of America. Permission hereby is granted by the authors for individuals to make copies of any portion of this work for personal or classroom use, without fee, providing that the information is not distributed for profit or for commerical advantage. Any use of this information for scientific purposes, such as contained in taxonomic review articles, books, book chapters, or monographs, MUST be accompanied by an appropriate credit citing the above authors by name and acknowledging NSF grant PEET DEB 9521687. Any use of this information for profit or other commercial gain must be negotiated with the authors.

Updated: 2 May 1999
Comments: eimeria@unm.edu (Duszynski)
coccidia@ksu.edu (Upton)


ORDER: Cetacea

Unknown coccidian of Kuttin & Kaller, 1996

Synonym: Cystoisospora delphini Kuttin & Kaller, 1996
Host: Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenosed dolphin)
Reference: Kuttin & Kaller 1996
*NOTE: Probably a fish coccidia passing through the intestine of the dolphin

ORDER: Pinnepeda

Eimeria arctowski Drozdz, 1987

Host: Leptonychotes weddelli (Weddell seal)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: This coccidian may represent Eimeria weddelli, but simply with the outer wall stripped away.
It is also possible that these are oocysts originating from a fish or bird.

Eimeria phocae Hsu, Melby, & Altman, 1974

Host: Phoca vitulina concolor (Harbor seal)
Reference: Hsu et al. 1974a, 1974b; McClelland 1980; Munro & Synge 1991

Eimeria (?) sp. 1 of Drozdz, 1987

Host: Lobodon carcinophagus (Crab eater)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: Apparently, only unsporulated oocysts were noted. This coccidian may represent a pseudoparasite.

Eimeria (?) sp. 2 of Drozdz, 1987

Host: Leptonychotes weddelli (Weddell seal)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: Apparently, only unsporulated oocysts were noted. This coccidian may represent a pseudoparasite.

Eimeria (?) sp. 3 of Drozdz, 1987

Host: Leptonychotes weddelli (Weddell seal)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: Apparently, only unsporulated oocysts were noted. This coccidian may represent a pseudoparasite.

Eimeria weddelli Drozdz, 1987

Host: Leptonychotes weddelli (Weddell seal)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: This coccidian may be synonymous with Eimeria arctowski
It is also possible that these are oocysts of fish or bird origin.

Isospora mirungae Drozdz, 1987

Host: Mirunga leonina (Sea elephant)
Reference: Drozdz 1987
*NOTE: This coccidian may represent oocysts derived from a fish or bird.

ORDER: Sirenia

Eimeria manatus Upton, Odell, Bossart, & Walsh, 1989

Host: Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee - Trichechidae)
Reference: Upton et al. 1989

Eimeria nodulosa Upton, Odell, Bossart, & Walsh, 1989

Host: Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee - Trichechidae)
Reference: Upton et al. 1989

Eimeria trichechi Lainson, Raiff, Best, & Shaw, 1983

Host: Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee - Trichechidae)
Reference: Lainson et al. 1983

References

Hsu. C.-K., Melby, E.C., and Altman, N.H. 1974. Eimeria phocae sp. n. from the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina concolor). Journal of Parasitology 60: 399-402.

Hsu, C.-K., Melby, E.C., Altan, N.H., and Burek, J.D. 1974. Coccidiosis in harbor seals. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 164: 700-701.

Drozda, J. 1987. Oocysts of six new Coccidomorpha species from pinnipeds of King George Island (South Shetlands, Antarctic). Acta Protozoologica 26: 263-266.

Kuttin, E.S. and Kaller, A. 1996. Cystoisospora delphini n. sp. enteritis in a bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 22: 57-60.

Lainson, R., Raiff, R.D., Best, R.C., and Shaw, J.J. 1983. Eimeria trichechi n. sp. from the Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunquis (Mammalia: Sirenia). Systematic Parasitology 5: 287-289.

McClelland, G. 1980. Phocanema decipiens: Pathology in Seals. Experimental Parasitology 49: 405-419.

Munro, R. and Synge, B. 1991. Coccidiosis in seals. The Veterinary Record 129: 179-180.

Upton, S.J., Odell, D.K., Bossart, G.D., and Walsh, M.T. 1989. Description of the oocysts of two new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Floridia manatee, Trichechus manatus (Sirenia: Trichechidae). Journal of Protozoology 36: 87-90.