<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p> A parasitological study was carried out on 330 eelpouts from two fishing grounds of the Polish fishing zone off the Oder estuary (Pomeranian Bay and Dziwna Mouth). A total of 11 species and genera of parasites from six higher taxa were recorded: 1 monogenean, 1 digenean, 5 nematodes (eelpout was a new host for Ascarophis morhuae and Capillaria gracilis), 2 acanthocephalans, 1 mollusk and 1 protist (a fungus-related pathogen). A total of 4284 autogenic countable parasites were identified. These included parasites of eight species and two genera (six higher taxa) from Pomeranian Bay, and five species (two higher taxa) from the Dziwna Mouth. The abundance of parasites per host was higher in fish from the Dziwna Mouth, while the parasitic biodiversity index was almost two times lower than in Pomeranian Bay. Pomphorhynchus laevis dominated among the eelpout parasites in both fishing grounds, but the parasite communities from the Dziwna Mouth consisted of a larger number of dominating classes. The high intensity of infection of Hysterothylacium auctum and the relative density affect more the dimensions of the dominant parasite (P. laevis) in the Dziwna Mouth than the crowding of parasites. Infection by more abundant large parasites have an important influence on the value of Fulton’s coefficient.</p>
</abstract>

A parasitological study was carried out on 330 eelpouts from two fishing grounds of the Polish fishing zone off the Oder estuary (Pomeranian Bay and Dziwna Mouth). A total of 11 species and genera of parasites from six higher taxa were recorded: 1 monogenean, 1 digenean, 5 nematodes (eelpout was a new host for Ascarophis morhuae and Capillaria gracilis), 2 acanthocephalans, 1 mollusk and 1 protist (a fungus-related pathogen). A total of 4284 autogenic countable parasites were identified. These included parasites of eight species and two genera (six higher taxa) from Pomeranian Bay, and five species (two higher taxa) from the Dziwna Mouth. The abundance of parasites per host was higher in fish from the Dziwna Mouth, while the parasitic biodiversity index was almost two times lower than in Pomeranian Bay. Pomphorhynchus laevis dominated among the eelpout parasites in both fishing grounds, but the parasite communities from the Dziwna Mouth consisted of a larger number of dominating classes. The high intensity of infection of Hysterothylacium auctum and the relative density affect more the dimensions of the dominant parasite (P. laevis) in the Dziwna Mouth than the crowding of parasites. Infection by more abundant large parasites have an important influence on the value of Fulton’s coefficient.

Species richness and the diversity of parasite communities of eelpout Zoarces viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Oder River estuary, Poland

Department of Hydrobiology, Ichthyology and Biotechnology of Breeding

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A parasitological study was carried out on 330 eelpouts from two fishing grounds of the Polish fishing zone off the Oder estuary (Pomeranian Bay and Dziwna...

Species richness and the diversity of parasite communities of eelpout Zoarces viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Oder River estuary, Poland

Published Online: Dec 09, 2015

Page range: 520 - 529

Received: Apr 22, 2015

Accepted: Jun 18, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2015-0049

Keywords
eelpout Zoarces viviparous, Oder River estuary, parasite fauna, Ascarophis morhuae, Capillaria gracilis, Pomphorhynchus laevis

© 2015 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdansk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Species richness and the diversity of parasite communities of eelpout Zoarces viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Oder River estuary, Poland

Published Online: Dec 09, 2015

Page range: 520 - 529

Received: Apr 22, 2015

Accepted: Jun 18, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2015-0049

Keywordseelpout Zoarces viviparous, Oder River estuary, parasite fauna, Ascarophis morhuae, Capillaria gracilis, Pomphorhynchus laevis

© 2015 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdansk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
eelpout Zoarces viviparous, Oder River estuary, parasite fauna, Ascarophis morhuae, Capillaria gracilis, Pomphorhynchus laevis