title: Monsters of the sea serpent: parasites of an oarfish, Regalecus russellii.
abstract: Examination of a small portion of the viscera of an oarfish ( Regalecus russellii ) recovered from Santa Catalina Island, southern California, revealed numerous tetraphyllidean tapeworm plerocercoids, Clistobothrium cf. montaukensis; 2 juvenile nematodes, Contracaecum sp.; and a fragment of an adult acanthocephalan, family Arhythmacanthidae. This suggests that the fish was relatively heavily parasitized. The presence of larval and juvenile worms suggests that oarfish are preyed upon by deep-swimming predators such as the shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus , known to be a definitive host for the adult tapeworm, and also by diving mammals such as sperm whales, Physeter catodon L., hosts of Contracaecum spp. nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106.
authors.forename: Armand M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kuris
authors.forename: Alejandra G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Ana E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Garcia-Vedrenne
authors.forename: George O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Poinar
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Steinauer
authors.forename: Magaly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Jacob E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ashford
authors.forename: Gabriela L P
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000049:Acanthocephala / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002140:California; D002589:Cestoda / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D014781:Viscera / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S