BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2010, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 34-42 |
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Infestation of the Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus by the parasitic copepod Haemobaphes diceraus (Copepoda: Pennellidae) at the eastern coast of the northern Kuril Islands and southeast Kamchatka Sakhalin Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 693016 E-mail: Material was collected in 1997-1999, 2002, and 2006 at the eastern coast of the northern Kuril Islands and at the southeastern extremity of Kamchatka. The prevalence of infection by the parasitic copepod Haemobaphes diceraus in the cod Gadus macrocephalus during the study period averaged 22.2%. The intensity of H. diceraus infection was up to 6 indiv./fish, and it increased with decrease in the average and greatest body length of the cod. With increase in fish body length, the role of the 4th branchial arch as the attachment site of the parasite decreased and the importance of the 2nd branchial arch increased. Pacific cod mainly get infected by H. diceraus at depths of 101-150 m. A sharp increase in occurrence of chitinized remains of this parasite occurred in fish starting with a size group of 41-45 cm. The death rate of infected cod up to 40 cm long was 14.3%. Key words: Pacific cod, Haemobaphes diceraus, infection, Pacific waters, northern Kurils, southeast Kamchatka. |
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