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Morphological comparison and identification of metacercariae in the ‘pygmaeus’ group of microphallids, parasites of seabirds in western palaearctic regions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

D.H. Saville
Affiliation:
School of Applied Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT37 0QB:
K.V. Galaktionov
Affiliation:
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Research Academy of Sciences Kola Scientific Centre, 17 Vladimirskaya Street, 18301, Murmansk, Russia
S.W.B. Irwin*
Affiliation:
School of Applied Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT37 0QB:
I.I. Malkova
Affiliation:
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Research Academy of Sciences Kola Scientific Centre, 17 Vladimirskaya Street, 18301, Murmansk, Russia
*
*Author for correspondence.

Abstract

This study compares the metacercariae of a ‘pygmaeus’ microphallid discovered in Littorina saxatilis from the coast of Northern Ireland with the metacercariae of Microphallus piriformes and M. pygmaeus from the same species of gastropod mollusc from Arctic Russia. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to provide morphometric and surface details for descriptions of the organisms concerned. Comparison and statistical analysis of the results established that the species from Northern Ireland was M. piriformes and not M. pygmaeus as had previously been assumed. It dearly indicates the need for critical assessment of the accuracy of literature dealing with the occurrence of ‘M. pygmaeus’ in both intermediate and final hosts.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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