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Infestation of littorinids by larval Digenea around a small fishing port

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

P. M. Matthews ,
W. I. Montgomery  and
R. E. B. Hanna
P. M. Matthews
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1 NN
W. I. Montgomery
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1 NN
R. E. B. Hanna
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1 NN
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Extract

Larval Digenea infecting Littorina rudis, L. littorea and L. obtusata around Portavogie harbour, Co. Down, were examined. High levels of infection were found among the littorinids collected from sites on the harbour shore, though levels of infection varied somewhat with position on the shore. There was a direct relationship between size of the snail host and likelihood of infection. There was a negative association between certain pairs of helminth species in the same host, particularly where the rediae of Cryptocotyle lingua or Himasthla sp. were involved. Infection rates in gastropods declined away from the harbour and it is concluded that the high infection rate centres around the harbour were probably due to the increased concentration of definitive hosts, mainly seagulls, attracted to this area by dumping of raw fish offal. The infection of Pholis gunnellus with the metacercariae of C. lingua was also examined. Older fish were more heavily infected than younger fish but no direct relationship was found between high snail infection rates and high P. gunnellus infection rates.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 90 , Issue 2 , April 1985 , pp. 277 - 287
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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