Parasites of Fish from the Great Lakes - Great Lakes Fishery ...

Cestodes
Twenty-four species of adult cestodes in eight families have been documented from the digestive
tract of Lake Erie fish. Five species of caryophyllid cestodes in the Capingentidae,
Caryophyllaeidae, and Lytocestidae were found in one cyprinid and several catostomid species.
Twelve cestode species are in the Proteocephalidae (10 species of Proteocephalus).
Bothriocephalus cuspidatus was reported from 8 species, Corallobothrium fimbriatum from 6
species, and Proteocephalus pearsei from 9 fish species. Many cestode species (e.g.
Bothriocephalus formosus, Haplobothrium globuliforme, C. fimbriatum, Proteocephalus exiguus,
P. singularis, Triaenophorus nodulosus, caryophyllid cestodes) are host-specific to one or two
fish species or to one fish family.
At least 12 species of larval/immature cestodes in six families have been reported.
Bothriocephalus sp., Glaridacris sp., Proteocephalus pearsei, Proteocephalus pinguis,
Proteocephalus sp., and Triaenophorus sp. occurred as immature stages in the intestine.
Bothriocephalid plerocercoids, and larval stages of Diphyllobothrium laruei, Ligula intestinalis,
Schistocephalus sp., Sparganum pseudosegmentatum, and Triaenophorus nodulosus were
encysted in several non-intestinal sites. Eubothrium crassum, Bothriocephalus cuspidatus,
Proteocephalus ambloplitis, P. stizostethi, and Triaenophorus sp. occurred as both larval stages
encysted in non-intestinal sites and immature stages in the intestine. Larval/immature
Bothriocephalus cuspidatus was reported from 8 fish species, immature Triaenophorus nodulosus
from 15 species, larval Ligula intestinalis from 9 species, and larval Proteocephalus ambloplitis
from 29 fish species.
Nematodes
Twenty-one species of adult nematodes in eight families were found in Lake Erie fish. Several
adult species (e.g., Raphidascaris acus, Camallanus ancylodirus, Truttaedacnitis clitellarius,
Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum, Haplonema hamulatum, H. immutatum) are host-specific
occurring in one fish species or in one family. Other nematode species, however, infected a large
number of fish species–Dichelyne cotylophora (9 fish species), Spinitectus carolini (12 species),
S. gracilis (17 species), Rhabdochona cascadilla (11 species), and Camallanus oxycephalus (39
species). All species occurred in the digestive tract, except for Cystidicola stigmatura (swim
bladder), Philometra cylindracea (body cavity), Philometra sp. (body cavity, eye), and
Philometroides nodulosa (cheek galleries, fins).
Eleven species of larval/immature nematodes in seven families have been reported.
Hysterothylacium brachyurum, Raphidascaris acus, Dioctophyma sp., Eustrongylides sp.,
Spiroxys sp., and Philometra cylindracea occurred as larval stages encysted in non-intestinal
sites. Larval Eustrongylides tubifex occurred in non-intestinal sites of six fish species.
Camallanus oxycephalus occurred as both larval stages (encysted in coelom and mesentery) and
immature stages (occurring in intestine) in nine fish species. Immature Capillaria catenata,
Philonema sp., and Rhabdochona sp. infected the digestive tract.
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