Digenean metacercariae of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll, Eastern Indo-Pacific
Journal of Helminthology
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Abstract
Although many studies on the taxonomy of digenean trematodes of marine fishes have been completed in the Eastern Indo-Pacific (EIP) marine ecoregion, only a few have considered metacercarial stages. Here, the results are presented of a taxonomic survey of the digenean metacercariae of fishes from Palmyra Atoll, a remote and relatively pristine US National Wildlife Refuge located 1680 km SSW of Hawaii. Up to 425 individual fish were collected, comprising 42 fish species, from the sand flats bordering the lagoon of the atoll. Quantitative parasitological examinations of each fish were performed. Morphological descriptions of the encountered digenean metacercariae are provided, together with their prevalence, mean intensities, host and tissue-use. Up to 33,964 individuals were recovered representing 19 digenean metacercaria species from eight families. The species composition of digeneans in lagoon fishes at Palmyra Atoll is a subset of what has previously been reported for the EIP. Further, the large diversity and abundance of metacercariae reported in this study highlight the utility of including this group in future ecological research in the EIP marine ecoregion.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Digenean metacercariae of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll, Eastern Indo-Pacific |
| Series title | Journal of Helminthology |
| DOI | 10.1017/S0022149X11000526 |
| Volume | 86 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Year Published | 2012 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 17 p. |
| First page | 493 |
| Last page | 509 |
| Other Geospatial | Indo-pacific;Palmyra Atoll |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |