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

<p>A total of 357 Syngnathidae fishes (<italic>Syngnathus abaster</italic> Risso, 1827, <italic>S. typhle</italic> Linnaeus, 1758 and <italic>Hippocampus hippocampus</italic> (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in different habitats along Crimean Black Sea shelf were examined for presence of endohelminths and revealed to be hosts of 15 helminth species. The fishes are second intermediate hosts for five “birds’” digenean species and nematodes (larvae of three species and immature adults of one more species) completing life-cycles in waterbirds and fish; for two acanthocephalans and three cestodes larvae ending development in fish. We suggest, basing on data on feeding of the Black Sea predatory fish and waterbirds, that Syngnathid fishes are paratenic hosts in parasitic systems of most cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. All the trematodes found are generalists at metacercarial stage; specialists <italic>Timoniella imbutiformis</italic> and <italic>Aphallus tubarium</italic> use Syngnathidae as definitive hosts. Cestodes, nematodes as well as acanthocephalans found are generalists, too. Based on infection indices, <italic>S. typhle</italic> are main final host and <italic>H. hippocampus</italic> are main 2nd intermediate hosts for <italic>T. imbutiformis</italic>; Syngnathids are accidental hosts for other trematodes as well as for all the cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. <italic>Cryptocotyle concava</italic> and <italic>Pygidiopsis genata</italic> are important as Syngnathid fishes’ threats, especially in marine protected aquatoria, being potential agents of “black spot disease”.</p></abstract>

A total of 357 Syngnathidae fishes (Syngnathus abaster Risso, 1827, S. typhle Linnaeus, 1758 and Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in different habitats along Crimean Black Sea shelf were examined for presence of endohelminths and revealed to be hosts of 15 helminth species. The fishes are second intermediate hosts for five “birds’” digenean species and nematodes (larvae of three species and immature adults of one more species) completing life-cycles in waterbirds and fish; for two acanthocephalans and three cestodes larvae ending development in fish. We suggest, basing on data on feeding of the Black Sea predatory fish and waterbirds, that Syngnathid fishes are paratenic hosts in parasitic systems of most cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. All the trematodes found are generalists at metacercarial stage; specialists Timoniella imbutiformis and Aphallus tubarium use Syngnathidae as definitive hosts. Cestodes, nematodes as well as acanthocephalans found are generalists, too. Based on infection indices, S. typhle are main final host and H. hippocampus are main 2nd intermediate hosts for T. imbutiformis; Syngnathids are accidental hosts for other trematodes as well as for all the cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. Cryptocotyle concava and Pygidiopsis genata are important as Syngnathid fishes’ threats, especially in marine protected aquatoria, being potential agents of “black spot disease”.

New data on pipefishes’ and seahorse’s endohelminths off Crimean coasts of the Black Sea

Helminthologia

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

A total of 357 Syngnathidae fishes (Syngnathus abaster Risso, 1827, S. typhle Linnaeus, 1758 and Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in different...

New data on pipefishes’ and seahorse’s endohelminths off Crimean coasts of the Black Sea

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: May 04, 2022

Page range: 74 - 82

Received: Nov 23, 2021

Accepted: Feb 04, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2022-0006

Keywords
Syngnathidae, helminths, Black Sea, marine protected areas

© 2022 Y. Kornyychuk, T. Polyakova, N. Pronkina, published by Sciendo

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

New data on pipefishes’ and seahorse’s endohelminths off Crimean coasts of the Black Sea

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: May 04, 2022

Page range: 74 - 82

Received: Nov 23, 2021

Accepted: Feb 04, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2022-0006

KeywordsSyngnathidae, helminths, Black Sea, marine protected areas

© 2022 Y. Kornyychuk, T. Polyakova, N. Pronkina, published by Sciendo

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

Keywords
Syngnathidae, helminths, Black Sea, marine protected areas