• IIIC'At Identification I Host Sites and Biology of Parasites Infecting Juvenile Atlantic Salmon (So/mo s%r) , , • in the Miramichi River s.'Jstem •• • by G.M. Hare • M.D. B. Burt '. FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE SERVICE DES PECHES ET DES SCIENCES DE LA MER TECHNICAL REPORT No. RA PPORT TECHNIQUE N° 581 1975 Environment Environnement 1+ Canada Canada Fisheries Service des peches and Marine el des sciences Service de la mer Technical Reports Technical Reports are research documents that are of sufficient importance to be preserved, but which for some reason are not appropriate for primary scientific publication. Inquiries concerning any particular Report should be directed to the issuing establishment. Rapports Techniques Les rapports techniques sont des documents de recherche qui revetent une assez . grande importance pour etre conserves mais qui, pour une raison ou pour une autre, ne conviennent pas a une publication scientifique prioritaire. Pour toute demande de renseignements concernant un rapport particuJier, il faut s'adresser au service responsable. Department of the Environrrent Ministere de l' Environnenent Fisheries and Marine Service Service des Pech.es et des Sciences de la rrer Research and Developrent Directorate Direction de la Recherche et OOvelopperrent 'I".OCHNICAL REPORl' NO. 581 RAPPORl' TOCHNI(XJE !P. 581 (Numbers 1-456 in this series were issued (Les nt.lItEros 1-456 dans cette serie furent as Technical Reports of the Fisheries utilis~s oamme Rapports Techniques de l'office Research Board of Canada. The series des r echerches sur les p€cheries du canada name was changed with Report nunber 457) • Le nom de la serie fut change avec Ie rapport numero 457). Identification, Host Sites and Biology of Parasites Infecting Juvenile Atlantic Salnon (Sa lmo sa lar ) in the Miramichi River System, I'Jew Brunswick 1 by G. M. Hare Department of the Environment Fisheries and Marine Service Biological StatiOi.1, St. Andrews, N. B. Effi 2XO and M. D. B. Burt Departrrent of Biology University of New Brunswick Fredericton, N. B. This is the eighty-seventh Ceci est Ie quatre-vingt septiE:!rcE Technical Report fran the Rapport Teclmique de la Direction de la Research and Developuent Directorate Recherche et Developpernent BiolC>g'ical Station Station biolC>g'ique St. Andrews, N.B. St-Andrews, N.-B. 1975 lBased on part of a thesis by G. M. Hare sul::mitted in partial fulfilJ.nEnt of the requirarents for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Biology, University of New Bnmswick, Fredericton, N. B. i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Materials and Methods ...... 1 l. Collection of hosts 1 2. Examination of hosts 1 3. Preservation and identification of parasites ..... 4 4. Recording of parasite da ta ....................... 4 5. Analysis of parasite data 4 Results and Discussion ................ 6 Phylum Protozoa ................ 6 Subclass Peritrichia ...... 6 Phylum Platyhelminthes ......... 8 Class Trematoda ................. ~ ............. 8 Class Nematoda 17 Class Cestoda 23 Class Acanthocephala ..................... 24 Phylum Annelida ...................................... 2 7 Class Hirudinea ................................. 27 Phylum Arthropoda 28 Class Arachnoidea ........... .. ............... 28 Phylum Mollusca ..•.............. ... ........... 29 Class Pelecypoda 29 References 30 iii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Localities, dates of capture, life stages and numbers of Atlantic salmon examined for parasites 3 Table 2. List of parasites infecting Atlantic salmon collected from the Miramichi River system 7 Table 3. Number and percentage of Discocotyle sagittata on the gill arches of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 10 Table 4. Number and percentage of Discocotyle sagittata on the left and right sides of the branchial basket of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 10 Table 5. Number and percentage of Discocotyle sagittata on the inner and the outer hemibranchs of Atlantic salmon, 1971 11 Table 6. Number and percentage of Discocotyle sagittata on the dorsal, median and ventral segments of the gills of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 11 Table 7. Number and percentage of mature specimens of Crepidostomum farionis in different regions of the intestine of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 15 Table 8. Number and percentage of Capillaria salvelini in different regions of the intestine of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 18 Table 9. Number and percentage of Raphidascaris sp. in different regions of the alimentary tract and liver of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 20 Table 10. Number and percentage of Sterliadochona tenuissima in different regions of the alimentary tract of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 22 Table 11. Number and percentage of Neoechinorhynchus rutili in different regions of the alimentary tract of Atlantic salmon, 1970 and 1971 25 i v " LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Miramichi River system showing locations where Atlantic salmon were collected for parasitological examinations. 2 Figure 2. Diagram of gills on the left side of the branchial basket of Atlantic salmon showing divisions of the gill arches examined for parasites 5 Figure 3. Trichodina sp. showing conspicuous "toothed" disc (Modified after Hoffman, 1967) 6 Figure 4. Gyrodactylus sp. showing posterior anchors, embryo and absence of eye-spots 8 Figure 5. Discocotyle sagittata, (A) posterior end showing haptor and clamps and (B) high power view of clamps 9 Figu~e 6. Crepidostomum farionis, anterior end showing large ventral sucker in relation to smaller oral sucker 13 .. Figure 7. Seasonal difference in the percentage of Crepidostomum farionis in different regions of the intestine of Atlantic salmon collected from Trout Brook in 1971. The figures in parentheses are the number of parasites in each sample 14 Figure 8. Diplostomum spathaceum, metacercaria showing distinct hindbody 17 Figure 9. CapiUaria salvelini, (A) posterior end of male specimen and (B) posterior end of female specimen (Modified after Threlfall and Hanek, 1969) 18 Figure 10. Specimen of Raphidascaris sp. larva showing posterior esophageal caecum 19 Figure 11. Ster liadochona tenuissima, (A) posterior end of male specimen and (B) posterior end of female specimen (Modified after Choquette, 1955) 22 Figure 12. Specimen of Proteocephalus sp. larvae 23 Figure 13. Neoechinorhynchus rutili, anterior end showing small cylindrical shaped proboscis and large hypodermal nuclei 24 Figure 14. Echinorhynchus lateralis, (A) whole specimen showing proboscis withdrawn and (B) high power view of partly everted proboscis 26 • v Figure 15. Specimen of Piscicola punctata 27 Figure 16. Mounted specimen of Trhypochthoniellus sp. 28 Figure 17. Glochidia encysted in gill filame nts 29 vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank Dr. P. F. Elson, Mr. J. W. Saunders and the staff of the Biological Station's Curventon and Trout Brook counting fences for assistance in fish collections, laboratory facilities, equipment, and accommodations; the staff of the Fisteries and Marine Service, Resource Development Branch, Newcastle, N. B., for assistance in collecting fish samples: the Atlantic Salmon Association, the Fisheries and Marine Service, and the National Research Council for financial support: Dr. D. Barr, Royal Ontario Museum, for identifying the mites found in this study; Dr. W. L. Bullock, University of New Hampshire, for collaborating on acanthocephalan nomenclature: Mr. P. W. G. McMullon for preparing the illustrations; Mrs. M. Irwin for typing the manuscript; and Drs. D. W. McLeese and J. S. Scott for reviewing the manuscript. vii ABSTRACT Hare, G. M., and M. D. B. Burt. 1975. Identification, host sites and biology of parasites infecting juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Miramichi River system, New Brunswick. Fish. Mar. Servo Res. Dev. Tech. Rep. 581: 34 p. Fourteen parasite species (1 protozoan, 10 helminth, 1 annelid, 1 arthropod and 1 mollusc) were collected from 1710 juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Miramichi River system, New Brunswick, Canada, during 1969-1971. This report provides information on the identification, host sites and biology of the parasites. It is noteworthy that (1) adult mites, Trhypochthoniellus sp., were collected from a vertebrate host for the first time; ' (2) Discocotyle sagittata~ Crepidos­ tomum farionis~ Capillaria salvelini~ Raphidascaris sp., Sterliadochona tenuissima and Neochinorhynchus rutili commonly infected specific host sites; and (3) the seasonal maturation of D. sagittata and C. farionis indicated annual cycles of infection. RESUME Hare,G. M., and M. D. B. Burt. 1975. Identification, host sites and biology of parasites infecting juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Miramichi River system, New Brunswick. Fish. Mar. Servo Res. Dev.Tech. Rep. 581: 34 p. De 1969 a 1971, quatorze especes de parasites (1 protozoaire, 10 helminthes, 1 annelide, 1 arthropode et 1 moll usque) ont ete prelevees a partir de 1,710 saumons atlantiques juveniles (Salmo salar) proven ant du bassin de la Miramichi, Nouveau-Brunswick (Canada). Ce, rapport donne des renseignem~nts sur l'identification, Ie site d'inf~ction chez l'h6te et la biologie des parasites. Les points saillants de l'etude peuvent se resumer comme suit: 1) C1est la premiere fois que des acariens adultes, Trhypoch­ toniellus sp., sont isoles sur un vertebre; 2) Discocotyle sagittata~ Crepidostomum farionis~ Capillaria salvelini~ , Raphidascaris sp., Sterliadochona tenuissima et Neochirorhynchus rutili infectaient generalement des parties specifiques de leurs hates; et 3) la maturation saisonniere de D. sagittata