Studies on the Helminth Fauna of Alaska. XIV. Some Cestode Parasites of the Aleutian Teal (Anus crecca L.) With the Description of Diorchis longiovum n. sp.

Authors

Everett Schiller, Arctic Health Research Center

Date of this Version

1953

Citation

Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington, v. 20, no.1 (1953)

Comments

Used by permission

Abstract

The Aleutian teal (Anas Crecca nimia Friedmann) has been relatively unavailable for helminth investigations by American workers because its range in North America is restricted to the western-most Aleutian Islands.

During some parasitological studies on Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, in May and early June 1952, in connection with sea otter mortality, the writer had the opportunity to collect 20 adult Aleutian teal. These birds, consisting of 16 males (average weight, 392 grams) and 4 females (average weight, 353 grams) were taken at the beginning of the nesting season, Autopsies revealed that 16 (80%) of these ducks were parasitized by cestodes. All infections were considered to be relatively light-the numbers of cestodes recovered ranged from one to 25. Subsequent taxonomic study disclosed that the cestodes represented three genera and four species; viz., Hyrnenolepis collaris (Batsch, 1786); Firnbriaria fasciolaris (Pallas, 1871); Diorchis acurninata Clerc, 1902; and a new species, herein described, of the genus Diorchis.