merged

PRESENCE OF PARASITES FROM FAECES OF CAPTIVATED GREEN TURTLE,
HAWKSBILL TURTLE AND OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE
FILZAH BINTI MOHD NOOR HELIMI
SUPERVISOR: DR. MUHAMMAD HAFIZ BIN BORKHANUDDIN
BACHELOR OF SCIENCES (MARINE BIOLOGY)
SCHOOL OF MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Most of the parasites studies in sea turtles were recorded from dead carcasses. By
examining faeces of live sea turtles, parasites can be determined without dissecting
or harming the hosts. Faecal samples from 33 captivated sea turtles at Turtle and
Marine Ecosystem Center (TUMEC) in Terengganu that include green turtle, Chelonia
mydas (30 individuals), hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (1 individual) and
olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea (2 individuals) were examined for the
parasites’ eggs. Most of the identified parasite eggs were belonging to trematodes
group such as Plesiochorus sp., Pronocephalus sp., Cricocephalus sp., Pleurogonius
sp., Desmogonius sp., Learedius sp., Rhytidodes sp., Deuterobarus sp. and
Angiodictyum sp. Only one egg type represent nematode group were found and
identified as Cucullanus sp. In this study, a number of eggs (~180 types) could not
be identified due to lack of references material. Further study is suggested to
incorporate DNA analysis to identify the eggs.
1817 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018