CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Acanthocephalans are a small group of helminth parasites comprising more than 1,300 known species. For many species of acanthocephalans, coastal fishes act as paratenic (transport) hosts or may serve as definitive hosts. In Patagonia, little is known about the diversity of acanthocephalans in coastal fishes and very few records/descriptions of these parasites in these hosts have been published. In this study, the diversity of acanthocephalans was explored in 119 Eleginops maclovinus (Perciformes: Eleginopsidae), 32 Odontesthes argentinensis and 32 Odontesthes smitti (Atheriniformes: Atherinopsidae) from coastal waters of the San Matias Gulf in Patagonia, Argentina. A total of 813 acanthocephalans belonging to 5 species were collected (Table 1). Adult forms of Hypoechinorhynchus magellanicus (Arhythmacanthidae) were collected from the intestine E. maclovinus. Immature forms were represented by two species: H. magellanicus from the intestine of O. smitti, and Profilicollis chasmagnathi (Polymorphidae) from the intestine of E. maclovinus. Cystacanths (larval stage) of Andracantha sp., Corynosoma australe and Corynosoma cetaceum (Polymorphidae) were collected in the mesenteries of the three species of fish examined. Our study suggests that coastal fishes from San Matias Gulf play a prominent role in the transmission of cystacanths of Andracantha sp. and Corynosoma spp. to their main definitive hosts in the area, i.e. birds and marine mammals, respectively. The rarity of P. chasmagnathi could be related to the fact that gulls (their definitive hosts) feed on crabs (intermediate hosts), and apparently, fish hosts would act as an ecological ?sink? in their life cycle. The San Matias Gulf represents a new locality record for H. magellanicus, P. chasmagnathi and Andracantha sp.

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