Acanthocephalan infection of inshore fishes at the South Orkney Islands

Abstract

An examination of notothenioid fish of three species, including 23 immature Notothenia coriiceps Richardson, revealed seven acanthocephalan species, including two Echinorhynchida occurring in the intestine and five Polymorphida in the body cavity. Four species -Metacanthocephalus johnstoni Zdzitowiecki, Corynosoma arctocephali Zdzitowiecki, C. pseudohamanni Zdzitowiecki, C. shackletoni Zdzitowiecki - are reported for the first time from the area. Polymorphida were twice as numerous as Echinorhynchida. The dominant parasites were Aspersentis megarhynchus (Linstow) and C. hamanni (Linstow) in Notothenia coriiceps, and C. bullosum (Linstow) in Chaenocephalus aceratus (Lönnberg). The infection of Notothenia coriiceps and Chaenocephalus aceratus in this area was compared with these species and Notothenia rossii Richardson in neighbouring areas. The infection of Notothenia coriiceps at the South Orkney Islands is more similar to that at the South Shetland Islands than that found at South Georgia.