Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Natural Sciences
First Advisor
Saarinen, Emily
Area of Concentration
Marine Biology
Abstract
Blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) and Atlantic sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) are two common species found in the Gulf of Mexico that, like most sharks, are frequently infected by cestodes in their spiral valve intestines. These endoparasites are difficult to identify because they are often small, cryptic species that are easily confused with one another when identified using only morphology. To compare the intestinal parasites of blacktip and Atlantic sharpnose sharks from Terra Ceia Bay and Manatee River, Florida, DNA was extracted from fecal samples collected from a total of 17 sharks. The highly conserved barcode region of the CO1 gene from these DNA samples was amplified using primers designed specifically for platyhelminths (DICE1F, DICE11R, and DICE14R). Using the DICE1F/DICE14R primer combination, one shark, a juvenile male blacktip shark from Terra Ceia Bay, was found to contain a cestode or digenean parasite. In the future, sequencing this DNA fragment and conducting a BLAST search will likely lead to the identification of the species of this parasite. Going forward, I would like to sequence platyhelminth barcodes from more blacktip and Atlantic sharpnose sharks from these and other locations to determine the degree to which these endoparasites exhibit host specificity.
Recommended Citation
Sheffer, Sara, "USING DNA BARCODING TO COMPARE INTESTINAL PARASITES OF BLACKTIP AND ATLANTIC SHARPNOSE SHARKS FROM TERRA CEIA BAY AND MANATEE RIVER, FLORIDA" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5998.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5998