Parasitological survey of coastal birds from the Magellanic coast, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

CARMEN GILARDONI; LORENTI ELIANA; MARÍA SOLEDAD LEONARDI; DIAZ JULIA; CREMONTE , FLORENCIA

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Año: 2023

0001-3765

Ecto and endoparasites of four species of coastal birds, Haematopus ater, Larusdominicanus, Leucophaeus scoresbii (Charadriiformes), and Lophonetta specularioides (Anseriformes), are reported from Puerto Deseado on the Patagonian coast, Argentina. Only H. ater was infested with lice (Phthiraptera), belonging to 2 species (Ischnocera, Amblycera). A total of 19 helminth species were found parasitizing the coastal birds studied: 4 cestodes (1 Tetrabothriidae, 3 Cyclophyllidea); 11 trematodes (2 Gymnophallidae, 3 Microphallidae, 2 Notocotylidae, 1 Philophthalmidae, 2 Renicolidae, 1 Schistosomatidae); 3 nematodes (1 Anisakidae, 2 Acuariidae); and 1 acanthocephalan (Polymorphidae). Although some isolated records have been previously reported for these birds, the present work provides a parasitofauna study for H. ater, L. scoresbii, and L. specularioides for the first time. Endoparasites reflected the feeding habits of the birds; the parasite assemblage of L. dominicanus was the richest, indicating their wide prey spectrum and the diversity of the habitats frequented. A great species richness of trematodes, whoselife cycles are partially known, suggests that L. specularioides feeds upon crustaceans and small bivalves. The blackish oystercatcher H. ater preys upon the limpet Nacellamagellanica which hosts two larval trematodes corresponding to the adults foundparasitizing it.