title: Digenean fauna of the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Blumenbach, 1798) in the brackish waters of the Vistula Lagoon and the Gulf of Gdańsk (Poland).
abstract: The great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Blumenbach, 1798) is one of the most important birds in the Vistula Lagoon and the Gulf of Gdańsk area. As a typical piscivore, the bird plays a significant part in life cycles of parasites in aquatic ecosystems. Within January 2000-June 2001, a complete helminthological examination was performed on great cormorants collected in the nesting area at Katy Rybackie on the Vistula Spit (80 specimens) and in the Vistula Lagoon (10 specimens). The infection prevalence, mean intensity, and intensity range were 92.2%, 376.5, and 1-4524, respectively. The presence of 9 digenean species (Paryphostomum radiatum (Dujardin, 1845), Petasiger exaeretus Dietz, 1909, P. phalacrocoracis (Yamaguti, 1939), Mesorchis pseudoechinatus (Olsson, 1876), Metorchis xanthosomus (Creplin, 1846), Cryptocotyle concavum (Creplin, 1825), Hysteromorpha triloba (Rudolphi, 1819), Tylodelphys clavata (Nordmann, 1832), and Holostephanus dubinini Vojtek et Vojtkova, 1968) was recorded, P. phalacrocoracis being the most common parasite (prevalence 92.2%, mean intensity 323.8). Tylodelplhys clavata proved a parasite new for the great cormorant moreover the records of P. phalacrocoracis, H. triloba, and H. dubinini are the first in Poland, while C. concavum and M. pseudoechinatus were for the first time recorded in the great cormorant in Poland.
authors.affiliation: Division of Invertebrate Zoology, University of Gdańsk, al. Marsz. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland. kanarek@sat.ocean.univ.gda.pl
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kanarek
authors.forename: Jilji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sitko
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rolbiecki
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rokicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000145:classification; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D009348:Nematoda / Q000145:classification*; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D045483:Rivers / Q000469:parasitology*