Maritrema

Maritrema is a genus of trematodes (flukes) in the family Microphallidae, although some have suggested its placement in the separate family Maritrematidae.[1] It was first described by Nikoll in 1907 from birds in Britain.[2] Species of the genus usually infect birds, but several have switched hosts and are found in mammals, such as the marsh rice rat.[3] Several species use the fiddler crab Uca pigilator as an intermediate host.[4]

Species include:

• Maritrema acadiae (Swales, 1933)[5]
• Maritrema arenaria Hadley and Castle, 1940[6]
• Maritrema bonaerensis Etchegoin and Martorelli, 1997[7]
• Maritrema carpathica Matskasi, 1984[8]
• Maritrema chiriacae Deblock, 1975[5]
• Maritrema feliui Gracenea, Montoliu and Deblock, 1993[9][8]
• Maritrema gratiosum Nikoll, 1907[10]
• Maritrema heardi (Kinsella and Deblock, 1994)[6]
• Maritrema humile Nikoll, 1907[10]
• Maritrema lepidum Nikoll, 1907[10]
• Maritrema majestova Ke, 1976[5]
• Maritrema neomi Tkoch, 1998[6]
• Maritrema oocysta Lebour, 1907[6]
• Maritrema paracadiae Ching, 1974[5]
• Maritrema prosthometra Deblock and Heard, 1969[6]
• Maritrema pulcherrima Travassos, 1928[5]
• Maritrema pyrenaica Deblock and Combes, 1965[8]
• Maritrema subdolum Jägerskiöld, 1909[6]
• Maritrema Poulini
• Maritrema novaezealandense

An undescribed species, "Maritrema sp. I", is known from clapper rails (Rallus crepitans) and marsh rice rats (Oryzomys palustris) in the eastern United States.[4] M. heardi was placed in a separate genus Floridatrema upon its description in 1994 on the basis of a morphological difference, but was reassigned to Maritrema in 2005, as molecular data indicated that Maritrema would be paraphyletic without the inclusion of the species.[1]