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

<p>The present study describes a finding of the demodecid mite <italic>Demodex phocidi</italic> in the seal <italic>Phoca vitulina</italic> in the Baltic Sea. This is the first identification in Europe and the second in the world. This is also the first observation of the Demodecidae family in the pinnipeds outside North America. A high density of demodecid mites was observed in the skin of the examined seal, but no symptoms of parasitosis were observed. Our findings also supplement the taxonomic description and morphometry of <italic>D. phocidi</italic>.</p></abstract>

The present study describes a finding of the demodecid mite Demodex phocidi in the seal Phoca vitulina in the Baltic Sea. This is the first identification in Europe and the second in the world. This is also the first observation of the Demodecidae family in the pinnipeds outside North America. A high density of demodecid mites was observed in the skin of the examined seal, but no symptoms of parasitosis were observed. Our findings also supplement the taxonomic description and morphometry of D. phocidi.

<italic>Demodex phocidi</italic> (Acariformes: Demodecidae) from <italic>Phoca vitulina</italic> (Carnivora: Phocidae) – the second observation in the world and a supplement to the species description

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

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 (Acariformes: Demodecidae) from  (Carnivora: Phocidae) – the second observation in the world and a supplement to the species description

The present study describes a finding of the demodecid mite Demodex phocidi in the seal Phoca vitulina in the Baltic Sea. This is the first identification in...

Demodex phocidi (Acariformes: Demodecidae) from Phoca vitulina (Carnivora: Phocidae) – the second observation in the world and a supplement to the species description

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Mar 06, 2020

Page range: 49 - 55

Received: May 27, 2019

Accepted: Jul 26, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2020-0005

© 2020 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.