First recorded occurrence of the parasitic barnacle (Anelasma squalicola) on a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) in the Canadian Arctic

A solitary Anelasma squalicola specimen was collected from the cloaca of a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), the first time this association has been recorded. The specimen's identity was confirmed through morphological and genetic assessment (mitochondrial markers: COI and control reg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Fish Biology
Main Authors: Ste-Marie, Eric, Glenner, Henrik, Rees, David John, Hussey, Nigel E.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3083371
https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15421
Description
Summary:A solitary Anelasma squalicola specimen was collected from the cloaca of a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), the first time this association has been recorded. The specimen's identity was confirmed through morphological and genetic assessment (mitochondrial markers: COI and control region). A. squalicola is a species typically associated with deep-sea lantern sharks (Etmopteridae) and, until the present observation, had never been observed at a sexually mature size in the absence of a mating partner. Given the reported negative effects of this parasite on its hosts, monitoring Greenland sharks for additional cases is recommended. publishedVersion