Parasitic fauna of a yellow-legged gull colony in the island of Escombreras (South-eastern Mediterranean) in close proximity to a landfill site: potential effects on cohabiting species

HERVIAS S.; MARTINEZ-CARRASCO C.; DIAZ J. I.; CHITIMIA L.; ORTIZ J.; MAYO E.; RUIZ DE YBÁÑEZ M.R.

ACTA PARASITOLOGICA

VERSITA

Lugar: Varsovia; Año: 2015 vol. 60 p. 290 - 297

1230-2821

We identified the ectoparasites and helminth fauna of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis michahellis), breeding near toa solid waste landfill, and compared infection levels with those of other yellow-legged gull colonies. Moreover, we analysedcorrelations between parasites and sex and body condition of yellow-legged gulls, co-infections and the helminth communitystructure in order to propose the role of this species as reservoir of certain parasites. We also discuss the potential transmissionof parasites between the yellow-legged gull and the endangered Audouin?s gull, because interactions between these two species,such as kleptoparasitism and predation, occur frequently around colonies. The following species were recorded: Ornithodoruscapensis (Arthropoda); Cosmocephalus obvelatus, Paracuaria adunca, Eucoleus contortus, Tetrameres skrjabini and Contracaecumsp. (Nematoda); Tetrabothrius cylindraceus (Cestoda); Acanthotrema armata, Cardiocephaloides longicollis andOrnithobilharzia intermedia (Digenea). Tetrabothrius cylindraceus, A. armata and O. capensis are new parasite records for thishost. The dependence of yellow-legged-gulls on fishery discards is supported by the dominance of parasites transmitted throughmarine intermediate hosts with interest to fisheries in the study area. However, the shift in diet from natural resources to foodderived from human activities seems not to affect the parasitic fauna of yellow-legged gull. Besides of direct physical contactbetween individuals in nesting and resting habitats, the high availability of fishery discards could increase the risk of Audouin?sgulls to be infected by common parasites of yellow-legged gull.