Parasite fauna of the Antarctic dragonfish Parachaenichthys charcoti (Perciformes: Bathydraconidae) and closely related Bathydraconidae from the Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean

Abstract Background As members of the Notothenioidei - the dominant fish taxon in Antarctic waters - the family Bathydraconidae includes 12 genera and 17 species. The knowledge of these species inhabiting an isolated environment is rather fragmentary, including their parasite fauna. Studies on fish...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasites & Vectors
Main Authors: Julian Münster, Judith Kochmann, Juline Grigat, Sven Klimpel, Thomas Kuhn
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2017
Subjects:
Antarctica
Feeding behavior
Bathydraconinae
Parachaenichthys charcoti
Gerlachea australis
Gymnodraco acuticeps
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Antarctic
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarc*
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2176-7
https://doaj.org/article/c3835db3fcf54ee19f5bf16b57852056
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Summary:Abstract Background As members of the Notothenioidei - the dominant fish taxon in Antarctic waters - the family Bathydraconidae includes 12 genera and 17 species. The knowledge of these species inhabiting an isolated environment is rather fragmentary, including their parasite fauna. Studies on fish hosts and their associated parasites can help gain insights into even remote ecosystems and be used to infer ecological roles in food webs; however, ecological studies on the Bathydraconidae are scarce. Results In this study, stomach contents and parasite fauna of the Antarctic dragonfish species Parachaenichthys charcoti (n = 47 specimens) as well as of Gerlachea australis (n = 5), Gymnodraco acuticeps (n = 9) and Racovitzia glacialis (n = 6) were examined. The parasite fauna of P. charcoti consisted of eight genera represented by 11 species, with three of them being new host records. Overall, 24 parasite genera and 26 species were found in the sampled fish, including eleven new host records. Conclusion Analyses revealed that the majority of the parasite species found in the different fish hosts are endemic to Antarctic waters and are characterized by a broad host range. These findings are evidence for the current lack of knowledge and the need for further parasitological studies of fish species in this unique habitat.

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