A survey of the parasites of nonanadromous and anadromous brook charr ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) in the Tabusintac River, New Brunswick, Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Author: Frimeth, Jack P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1987
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Arctic; Canada; Arctic charr; Salvelinus alpinus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z87-215; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z87-215

A parasite survey of 1146 brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) was conducted between January 1981 and December 1982 in the Tabusintac River, New Brunswick, Canada. A total of 36 parasite species were recovered, of which 18 (one Myxosporea, two Monogenea, three Digenea, three Cestoidea, five Nematoda, one Acanthocephala, one Hirudinoidea, one Crustacea, and a Dermocystidium sp.) were freshwater and 18 (two Monogenea, seven Digenea, two Cestoidea, two Nematoda, two Acanthocephala, and three Crustacea) were marine. Anadronomous charr were differentiated from nonanadromous charr in fresh water by the presence of marine parasites. Charr in the estuary and lagoon were all considered to be anadromous; however, first-time anadromous charr or smolts were differentiated by the absence of marine parasites and infection with freshwater parasites only. New host records include Lecithaster gibbosus, Zoogonus lasius, Podocotyle angulata, Cryptocotyle lingua (metacercariae), Stephanostomum tenue (metacercariae, adults), Eubothrium crassum, Tetraphyllidea gen. sp. (plerocercoids), Eustrongylides sp. (larvae), Hysterothylacium aduncum (larvae, adults), Corynosoma magdaleni (juveniles), Argulus alosae, and Ergasilus labracis. Zoogonus lasius and Stephanostomum tenue represent new Canadian records, and Chloromyxum truttae and Truttaedacnitis truttae are reported for the first time from New Brunswick. Bulbodacnitis alpinus, previously reported only from the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), is considered to be a synonym of T. truttae.