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New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts


Distribution of helminths in the digestive tracts of New Zealand freshwater eels *2. Distribution of nematodes

P. M. HINE

Fisheries Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, P.O. Box 19062, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract The distributions of the nematode parasites Paraquimperia sp., Spirocamallanus sp., and Cucullanus sp. in the intestines and recta of Anguilla dieffenbachii and A. australis from Lake Ellesmere and the South Branch of the Waimakariri River were studied over two years. Peak occurrence of Paraquimperia was in the anterior intestine of A. australis and mid intestine of A. dieffenbachii. Male and female Spirocamallanus sp. established in the mid intestine, but as female worms grew they attached more anteriorly and thus maintained the mid body in the mid intestine, prevented the tail end entering the rectum, and maintained the vulvae close to male worms. Cucullanus sp. was most often found in the mid intestine, but occurred throughout the intestine, possibly because of migration with food. Paraquimperia and Spirocamallanus extended their range with crowding; Cucullanus increased in density in the mid intestine. Posteriad movement, with or without subsequent evacuation, was a general feature of all species in both hosts, held live or examined after death. Chilling and freezing slowed or arrested loss from dead hosts. Larger worms (Spirocamallanus sp.) moved and were lost more rapidly than small worms (Paraquimperia sp.); worm loss was more rapid from A. dieffenbachii than from A. australis.

Keywords Anguilla australis; Anguilla dieffenbachii; nematodes; distribution in gut; Paraquimperia sp.; Spirocamallanus sp.; Cucullanus sp.; parasites.

New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 1980, 14(4): 339-347
Received 27 February 1980; revision received 6 October 1980 Fisheries Research Division Publication 421

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (705K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)


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