The effects of periodic eutrophication on parasitism and stock identification of Trematomus bernacchii (Pisces: Nototheniidae) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, is suited for the study of the effects of eutrophication on diet-related parasites of Trematomus bernacchii (Boulenger, 1902) (Pisces). It has been relatively well studied, the environment is predictable, and there are significant differences in primary productivity over small distances. The differences in parasitism for 5 helminth species can be attributed to the enrichment processes in the sound. The prevalences of the acanthocephalan Echinorhynchus sp., the nematode Ascarophis nototheniae, the digenean Dinosoma sp., and the cestode Phyllobothrium sp. are significantly higher on the east side of the sound than on the west. The prevalence of the digenean Lepidepedon garrardi was significantly higher on the west side. We believe that the differences in the prevalences of infection between the east and west sides suggest that at least the benthic, adult fish do not readily move from one side of the sound to the other. We report the following (new host records are marked by asterisks): Echinorhynchus sp., Corynosoma hamanni (Acanthocephala); Phyllobothrium sp., Diphyllobothrium sp., Trypanorhyncha (Cestoidea); Clavellopsis (Copepoda); Dinosoma sp., Lepidepedon garrardi (Digenea); Pseudobenedenoides brachicola, Polyopisthocotylea (Monogenea); Contracaecum sp., Ascarophis nototheniae (Nematoda); Myxoproteus sp., Henneguya sp., Ceratomyxa sp., and Zschokkella sp. (Protozoa).