Euphausiids as intermediate hosts of Anisakis simplex in the St. Lawrence estuary

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Hays, Réjean, Measures, Lena N, Huot, Jean
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1998
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Meganyctiphanes norvegica; Thysanoessa raschii
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-052; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z98-052

To determine abundance of larval Anisakis simplex in euphausiids of the St. Lawrence estuary, Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoessa raschii were collected at seven sites from the mouth of the Saguenay River to Baie des Outardes. Larvae were removed from euphausiids by means of a modified Baermann apparatus filled with a pepsin-HCl digest solution. Abundances of larvae in euphausiids ranged from 0 to 58.2 × 10 -5 . Larvae (N = 100) were in the third stage (bearing one cuticle) or moulting from the second stage to the third stage (bearing two cuticles). Euphausiids, particularly T. raschii, which represented 98% of the total euphausiids sampled, are important intermediate hosts of A. simplex in the St. Lawrence estuary. These data indicate the importance of the St. Lawrence estuary as an enzootic zone for A. simplex and thus a valuable area to study the biology and the transmission of this parasite.