Comparative analysis of diet composition and gut parasite diversity in bar-headed geese and ruddy shelducks using environmental dna metabarcoding
We comprehensively analyzed the dietary preferences and intestinal parasite diversity of two waterbirds, the Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) and the Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), using environmental DNA metabarcoding with the 18S rDNA V9 (for detecting plankton and parasites) and trnLg - trn...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kafkas University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://vetdergikafkas.org/pdf.php?id=3211 |
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| Summary: | We comprehensively analyzed the dietary preferences and intestinal parasite diversity
of two waterbirds, the Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) and the Bar-headed goose
(Anser indicus), using environmental DNA metabarcoding with the 18S rDNA V9 (for
detecting plankton and parasites) and trnLg - trnLh (for detecting terrestrial plants)
amplicon primer pairs. Our results showed that both species fed on multiple types of
phytoplankton and terrestrial plants, but with different abundances. The ruddy shelduck
mainly consumed Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, and Poa, while the bar-headed goose
preferred Chlorophyta, Xanthophyta, Pyrrophyta, and Potentilla. Alpha - and betadiversity
analyses revealed significant niche differences in their food choices, enabling
coexistence through different food selection or different consumption levels of the same
food. Moreover, we detected the main intestinal parasites in both species: Eimeria sp.
and Tetratrichomonas sp. in the bar-headed goose, and Eimeria sp. and some endogenous
protozoan parasites in the ruddy shelduck. The dominance, species, and genetic variation
range of this host-parasite system require further study and attention in future work.
Our findings enhance the understanding of the ecological roles and dietary preferences
of these two waterbirds in the Tibetan Plateau wetland ecosystem of China, and are
significant for wetland environmental protection and species conservation. |
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| ISSN: | 1309-2251 |