Some parasites of the small-eyed rabbitfish, Hydrolagus affinis (Capello, 1867) (Holocephali), caught in deep waters off SW Greenland

Nine parasite species were recorded from the deep-water chimaera Hydrolagus affinis (Capello, 1867) collected at 1300-2100 m depth southwest of Greenland. A peritrich ciliate, Trichodina sp., infected the urinary system and was also found in the cloaca and on the claspers of a male. Metazoan parasites were represented by two monogeneans, Chimaericolidea gen. sp. (gills) and Calicotyle sp. (cloaca); an aspidogastrean Multicalyx sp. (gallbladder and bile ducts); two trematodes, a blood fluke Chimaerohemecus sp. (heart), Gonocerca phycidis Manter, 1925 (stomach and oesophagus); two cestodarians, Gyrocotyle abyssicola Van der Land & Templeman, 1968 and Gyrocotyle major Van der Land & Templeman, 1968 (spiral intestine), and a lernaeopodid copepod, Lernaeopodina longibrachia (Brian, 1912) attached to the eyes. In 118 fish examined for Lernaeopodina longibrachia , the prevalence of female copepods was high (83%), while the intensity rarely exceeded one per eye and hence two females per fish. Data on the parasite community diversity are provided, and the structure of the parasite communities of holocephalan fishes is briefly discussed.

Keywords:

• Hydrolagus
• Affinis
• Holocephali
• Parasites
• Trichodina
• Calicotyle
• Chimaericolidea
• Multicalyx
• Chimaerohemecus
• Gonocerca
• Gyrocotyle
• Lernaeopodina
• Community
• Diversity