Effect of Specific Host Body Pigmentation on the Number and Species Composition of the Parasites of Golden Specimen of Cod Gadus Morhua L. From the Svålbard Area

• Published in: Zoologica Poloniae
• Main Authors: Więcaszek, Beata, Sobecka, Ewa
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2009
• Subjects: atlantic cod; Gadus morhua; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10049-010-0007-x; https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/zoop/54-55/1-4/article-p67.xml; https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/zoop.2009.54-55.issue-1-4/v10049-010-0007-x/v10049-010-0007-x.pdf

Effect of Specific Host Body Pigmentation on the Number and Species Composition of the Parasites of Golden Specimen of Cod Gadus Morhua L. From the Svålbard Area Parasitological examination was carried out on a single specimen of the northeast Atlantic cod Gadus morhua morhua L., of the unusual golden pigmentation, described for the first time in literature. It was collected together with commercially caught cod of typical colouration in the Svålbard Bank area. Only few endoparasites were found. The golden cod individual hosted five species of parasites: four species of nematodes (Anisakidae) and one of acanthocephalan (Echinorhynchidae). The species composition of parasites was probably affected by the specific golden skin pigmentation of the host.