Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Population biology of Anguillicola crassus in the final host Anguilla anguilla
Thomas, K.; Ollevier, F.P. (1992). Population biology of Anguillicola crassus in the final host Anguilla anguilla. Dis. Aquat. Org. 14(3): 163-170. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/dao014163
In: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. Inter Research: Oldendorf/Luhe. ISSN 0177-5103; e-ISSN 1616-1580, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Abundance
    Analysis > Mathematical analysis > Statistical analysis
    Anatomical structures > Body organs > Animal organs > Bladders > Swim bladder
    Diseases > Infectious diseases > Parasitic diseases
    Life history
    Parasites > Endoparasites
    Periodicity > Seasonality
    Population characteristics > Population density
    Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]; Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi & Itagaki, 1974 [WoRMS]
    Belgium [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal; Brackish water; Fresh water

Authors  Top 
  • Thomas, K.
  • Ollevier, F.P., more

Abstract
    Eels were sampled twice a month (March 1990 though March 1991) at the Kolenhaven (Albertcanal, Genk, Belgium) and examined for Anguillicola crassus nematodes in the swimbladder. Averaged over all samples, 90.2% of the 345 eels were infected with a mean intensity (averaged for all stages) of 17 nematodes. Thirty-one percent of all nematodes, which were adult worms or their remnants, were present in the swimbladder lumen, while the other 69% which consisted of the third or fourth larval stage and preadults were found in the swimbladder wall. No clear seasonal fluctuations in parasite prevalence or mean intensity were observed. Both L3-larvae and mature adult worms were present throughout the year. Eggs or L2-larvae were observed in 41% of the infected eels. This presence showed no seasonal pattern, though it was positively correlated with eel length: massive concentrations of L2-larvae were only found in eels bigger than 40 cm. A positive but weak correlation between eel length and number of adult nematodes in the swimbladder was significant, while no correlation was found between eel length and total parasite burden.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors