The occurrence of some metazoan parasites of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., in relation to age and sex of the host in Balsfjord (70°N), North Norway (original) (raw)

Abstract

Age and sex differences in the occurrence of some metazoan parasites were investigated in 243 cod (Gadus morhua L.) from Balsfjord, a subarctic fjord in northern Norway. Thirteen species of parasite were studied, comprising seven nematodes, three parasitic copepods, one acanthocephalan, one cestode and one digenean. The nematode Anisakis simplex showed significant increases in both prevalence and mean abundance with host age, while the digenean Hemiurus levinseni showed a significant increase in mean abundance with age. The increases probably result from a long parasite life-span for A. simplex and changes in the feeding pattern of cod with age for H. levinseni. Prevalence of the nematode Contracaecum sp. and mean abundance of the acanthocephalan Echinorhynchus gadi were significantly higher in male than in female cod, whereas mean abundance of H. levinseni was significantly higher in female cod. These results suggest that there may be differences in feeding behaviour between male and female cod in Balsfjord.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway e-mail: willyh@ibg.uit.no, , , , , , NO
    Willy Hemmingsen
  2. Zoological Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, , , , , , NO
    Odd Halvorsen
  3. Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK, , , , , , GB
    Ken MacKenzie

Authors

  1. Willy Hemmingsen
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  2. Odd Halvorsen
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  3. Ken MacKenzie
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Accepted: 14 November 1999

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Hemmingsen, W., Halvorsen, O. & MacKenzie, K. The occurrence of some metazoan parasites of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., in relation to age and sex of the host in Balsfjord (70°N), North Norway.Polar Biol 23, 368–372 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050457

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