Deep-water life cycle of Anisakis paggiae (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in the Irminger Sea indicates kogiid whale distribution in north Atlantic waters

Polar Biol (2011) 34:899906 DOI 10.1007/s00300-010-0946-1

ORIGINAL PAPER

Deep-water life cycle of Anisakis paggiae (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in the Irminger Sea indicates kogiid whale distribution in north Atlantic waters

Sven Klimpel Thomas Kuhn Markus W. Busch

Horst Karl Harry W. Palm

Received: 16 June 2010 / Revised: 5 November 2010 / Accepted: 16 December 2010 / Published online: 6 January 2011 Springer-Verlag 2011

Abstract The study of the beryciform Anoplogaster cornuta from the Irminger Sea (north Atlantic) revealed the presence of the anisakid nematode Anisakis paggiae inside the body cavity, representing a new host and locality record. This deep-sea sh was infected with Anisakis larvae at a prevalence of 57.1% and a mean intensity of 2.2, with no correlation between the sh standard length and the number of accumulated A. paggiae. Kogiid whales (Kogia breviceps, K. sima), the typical nal hosts of this parasitic nematode, have not yet been recorded so far in the north. Because A. cornuta does not migrate outside the Irminger Sea, and by using the parasite as an indicator for the presence of the nal hosts, A. paggiae must have been introduced through migratory kogiid nal hosts. This would extend their range of distribution into the Irminger Sea. The depth range of the meso- and bathypelagic A. cornuta and the

frequent occurrence of Anisakis inside this deep-sea sh demonstrate an oceanic deep-water life cycle forA. paggiae in the north Atlantic.

Keywords Deep-sea sh Anisakis paggiae

Zoogeography Metazoan parasites Irminger Sea

Kogiidae Sibling species

Introduction

Marine mammals are a diverse group of 130 species including cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (sea lions, walrus and true seals), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), two otters and the Polar bear (Jefferson et al. 2008). The 86 recent whale species in the order Cetacea belong to the suborders Odontoceti (toothed whales) and Mysticeti (baleen whales) (e.g. Nikaido et al. 2001; Jefferson et al. 2008; Yang 2009). Cetaceans live in distinct regions of the world oceans, although some species can be considered cosmopolitan. Because of different habitat preferences, cetacean species distribute in tropical or polar and marine or estuarine regions, or any variation in between. They inhabit particular depths, temperature ranges or oceanographic regimes (Jefferson et al. 2008).

Baleen whales, sperm whales and some other large toothed whales...