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Occurrence of Bucephaloides gracilescens metacercariae in three species of gadoid fish
Author(s) -
Johnston B. R.,
Halton D. W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1981.tb03810.x
Subject(s) - haddock , whiting , hake , biology , gadidae , merluccius , fishery , anatomy , gadus , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , atlantic cod
Bucephaloides gracilescens metacercaria is a common encysted trematode parasite of whiting, Merlangius merlangus (L), haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus (L), and hake, Merluccius merluccius (L), in the Irish Sea. The incidence of infection over an 18‐month period was uniformly high (whiting, 95%; haddock and hake, 100%). The major site of infection in all three hosts was the cranial fluid surrounding the brain. Large numbers of cysts were also found embedded in the spinal nerves posterior to the anus in haddock and hake and in the auditory capsules in whiting and haddock. Other sites of infection included the spinal canal, cranial nerves (V, VII, VIII, X), eye muscles, orbits and nasal region. Results are discussed in the light of previous records of gasterostome trematodes in the Gadidae.