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Acta Parasitologica, Vol.47, No. 4, 2002, 306-309
Zdzitowiecki Krzysztof - Occurrence of Digenea in fishes of the family Artedidraconidae in the Weddell Sea and other areas of Antarctica.

W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 51/55 Twarda Street, 00-818 Warsaw and Department of Antarctic Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 10 Ustrzycka Street, 02-141 Warsaw; Poland
Corresponding author: kzdzit@twarda.pan.pl
ABSTRACT

Six of seven fish species of Artedidraconidae caught in the Weddell Sea were infected with Digenea. Prevalence of infection was relatively high, 18-71%, but intensities were very low, never exceeding four digeneans. In all, 10 digenean species were found: Macvicaria microtestis, Stenakron glacialis, Lepidapedon garrardi, Neolepidapedon trematomi, Steringophorus arntzi, Genolinea bowersi, Derogenes johnstoni, Elytrophalloides oatesi, Glomericirrus macrouri, and Otodistomum cestoides (metacercaria). None of these species was specific for Artedidraconidae. According to literature data, the total number of digeneans of Artedidraconidae is 14 species, of which 12 have been identified, including the 10 listed above, Neolebouria terranovaensis and Lecithaster macrocotyle; two (possibly specific for Artedidraconidae) are undetermined yet. The low diversity of digenean species in areas other than the Weddell Sea (three species in each of three areas) is probably the result of limited data available so far. Knowledge of the digenean fauna of Artedidraconidae is much less complete than that of three other notothenioid families, Nototheniidae, Channichthyidae and Bathydraconidae.


KEY WORDS: Digenea, diversity, fishes, Artedidraconidae, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
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