| Summary: | A prevalence of 76% and a mean intensity of 42.7 Anisakis simplex was found in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) (N = 78) by-caught in cod gill nets set by fishers from the Gaspe area in summer 1993. No young-of-the-year porpoises (N = 12) were infected. Prevalence and mean intensity among immature and adult porpoises as well as between sexes and length-classes were not significantly different. Anisakis simplex was present in the three stomach compartments of harbour porpoises. Adult stages were proportionately less abundant in the main and pyloric stomachs than the forestomach. Percent intensity of A. simplex was influenced by maturity of harbour porpoises. Gravid female A. simplex contained up to 818,000 eggs. Egg number was highly correlated with worm uttering volume. Density effects were not demonstrated, possibly due to high variability of egg number, total length, uterine and total worm volume between parasites from each stomach and between stomachs of harbour porpoise.
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