Blood protozoans of fish from the Davis Strait in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean
A study was carried out to determine the occurrence and prevalence of blood protozoans in benthic marine fish from the Davis Strait, an area between Baffin Island and Greenland (61–70°N, 53–63°W) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Parasites were seen in all 17 species offish examined; piroplasms we...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1991
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z91-064 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z91-064 |
| Summary: | A study was carried out to determine the occurrence and prevalence of blood protozoans in benthic marine fish from the Davis Strait, an area between Baffin Island and Greenland (61–70°N, 53–63°W) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Parasites were seen in all 17 species offish examined; piroplasms were most prevalent (78% of 413), infecting all fish species. Prevalences of infection were substantially lower for trypanosomes (23%) and haemogregarines (4%), both of which infected only 10 and 6 of the fish species, respectively. Prevalences were greater in 5 of the fish species examined, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Hippoglossoides platessoides, Lycodes lavalaei, Macrourus berglax, and Raja radiata, than in the other 12 species. Though the prevalence of trypanosomes decreased considerably in the most northerly of three areas, no differences were apparent for piroplasms. Prevalences noted in this paper are comparable to those observed in fish taken off the coast of Labrador but considerably greater than those of the Grand Banks or in areas south of latitude 50°N. Based on occurrence and prevalence, it is likely that fish haematozoans and their leech vectors originated in the northern latitudes and radiated southwards. |
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