Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 32(2): 109-116, doi: 10.3750/AIP2002.32.2.01
On the role of paratenic hosts in the life cycle of the nematode Anguillicola crassus in the Vistula Lagoon, Poland
expand article infoL. Rolbiecki

Corresponding author: L. Rolbiecki

© L. Rolbiecki.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Rolbiecki L (2002) On the role of paratenic hosts in the life cycle of the nematode Anguillicola crassus in the Vistula Lagoon, Poland. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 32(2): 109-116. https://doi.org/10.3750/AIP2002.32.2.01
Open Access
Abstract
Anguillicola crassus is an Asian nematode accidentally introduced to Europe and parasitising the swimbladder of European eels. Planktonic copepods are the major intermediate hosts but the success of this parasites depends on small fishes, acting as paratenic hosts and transmitting the nematode to eels. The role played by cyprinids and percids in the life cycle of A. crassus in the Vistula Lagoon was analysed. A total of 2398 fish specimens (1091 percids and 1307 cyprinids) were examined within December 1994-March 1997. The presence of the nematode was recorded in zander (Sander lucioperca), European perch (Perca fluviatilis), ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus), carp bream (Abramis brama), ziege (Pelecus cultratus), and roach (Rutilus rutilus), the ruffe being the most heavily infected fish species. The present findings advance our knowledge on the biology A. crassus and will help to predict its spread to other bodies of water.