Stomach nematodes of three sympatric species of anatid birds off the coast of Patagonia

AGÜERO, M.L.; GILARDONI, C.; CREMONTE, F.; DIAZ, J.I.

JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2016 vol. 90 p. 663 - 667

0022-149X

The present study focuses on the nematode community in the stomachs ofthree sympatric anatid bird species from the Central Patagonian coast,Argentina. The bird species include the Chubut steamer duck, Tachyeres leucocephalus, the crested duck, Lophonetta specularioides, and the black-neckedswan, Cygnus melancoryphus. Up to 138 nematodes representing five specieswererecovered from 10 of the 13 ducks examined, with an overall prevalence of77% and a mean intensity of 13.8. Nematodes isolated from the gizzard wereStreptocara formosensis and Sciadiocara legendrei (Acuariidae) in T. leucocephalus,and Epomidiostomum vogelsangi (Amidostomatidae) in C. melancoryphus,whereas Echinuria uncinata (Acuariidae) and Tetrameres (Petrowimeres) fissispina(Tetrameriidae) were found in the proventiculus of L. specularioides. In particular,S. legendrei was registered for the first time in South America and T. leucocephalus, whereas T. fissispina represents a new record in Argentina and L. specularioides. Moreover, E. vogelsangi and E. uncinata were isolated in Patagonia for the first time. The birds studied herein are sympatric in their distribution, and two of them are syntopic breeders; however, they were infected with different parasite species. This situation could be partially due to their diet or their seasonal movements, or a combination of both. Despite the low number of hostsexamined, this work enhances our knowledge about parasites from a frequentlyoccurring group of birds on the Patagonian coast, a subject that has not beenstudied extensively in South America.