Distribuição das infrapopulações de Temnocephala brevicornis Monticelli, 1889 (Turbellaria, Temnocephalidae) associadas à Hydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan, 1820) (Testudines, Chelidae) da Reserva Biológica Municipal Santa Cândida - Juiz de Fora - Minas Gerais

Abstract

Although there are studies with temnocephalans associated to numerous aquatic organisms, the type of relationship that occurs between these animals and the chelonians is still little studied, most of the studies with temnocephalans are of a morphological and taxonomic nature, being rare works that take into account the ecological aspects of these individuals. Thus, the current study aimed to analyze the distribution of the infrapopulations of Temnocephala brevicornis Monticelli, 1889 (Turbellaria, Temnocephalidae) in a population of Hydromedusa maximiliani and the possible preferences of sites of localization of these epibionts associated to the body surface of these chelonians. The collections were carried out between March 2017 and February 2018, in field trips that happened twice a month, in the Reserva Municipal Santa Cândida, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, with specimens of H. maximiliani that were captured, marked and measured. For each specimen of H. maximiliani captured, observations were made on the body surface to collect and map the sites and distribution areas of the temnocephalans. For statistical analysis the data were transformed into log10 (x + 1). These were submitted to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test a posteriori with significance level p <0.05%. A total of 11 specimens of H. maximiliani (five adult males, four adult females and two young females) were captured. A total of 429 specimens of T. brevicornis were collected, associated with the body surface of H. maximiliani with an average abundance of 39 ± 28.92 specimens per captured turtle. In this study we observed that the temnocephalids have a preference for some regions of the body of the chelonians, however, we observed a positive correlation between the body mass and the temnocephalid abundance and a positive correlation between the mean number of temnocephalids and the maximum height of the carapace. The temnocephalids of the present study use H. maximiliani body sites to perform some of their vital activities such as reproduction, feeding, protection and dispersal in the environment.