Metazoan parasites from herring (Clupea harengus) as biological indicators in the Baltic 1 Sea

Autor: Unger, P.; Klimpel, S.; Lang, T.; Palm, H.W. 2014
In:

VERSITA Acta Parasitologica

Bandangabe: 59
Auflage: 3
ISBN: 1230-2821
DOI: 10.2478/s11686-014-0276-5
Seite: 518 - 528
Jahr: 2014

Einordung:
Institut: Professur Aquakultur und Sea-Ranching

Abstract:
The zoographical distribution of metazoan fish parasites in herring, Clupea harengus from the Baltic 22 Sea was analysed in order to use them as biological indicators. A total of 210 herring from six 23 different sampling sites were studied. The parasites were identified by using morphology or sequence 24 analyses of the internal transcript spacers (ITS1, ITS2) and 5.8S rDNA. A total of 12 different parasite 25 species were found including five digeneans, one cestode, three nematodes and three 26 acanthocephalans. The distribution of the parasite species differed according to region, with a distinct 27 gradient of decreasing species richness towards the east. The western localities at Kiel Bay, Rügen and 28 Poland had the highest parasite diversity, with the marine parasite species Anisakis simplex (s.s.), 29 Brachyphallus crenatus and Hemiurus luehei. The eastern localities had low parasite species richness, 30 predominated by the freshwater digenean Diplostomum spathaceum. We could identify 3 different 31 Baltic herring stocks, the spring-spawning herring of the western Baltic reaching from the Kattegat to 32 the German and polish coast, the stock of the central Baltic proper and the northern stock of C. 33 harengus var. membras of the Gulf of Finland. The limited distribution of the herring parasites within 34 the Baltic Sea enables their use as biological indicators for migration patterns and stock separation. By 35 using the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis, both western stocks can be compared according to 36 their heavy metal contents, with possible interpretations for the environmental conditions and food 37 safety. However, the presence of mainly generalistic parasites and their uneven distribution patterns 38 make their use as indicators for regional environmental and global change more difficult.

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