Występowanie Tetrameres spinosa (Maplestone, 1931) Baylis, 1939 (Nematoda: Tetrameridae) u dzikich kaczek północno-zachodniej Polski

Nematodes from the genera Tetrameres (Creplin 1846) are cosmopolitan and polyxenic parasites of birds living inland or associated with aquatic environment. These parasites are characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism and strict topospecificity, limited to the proventriculus of the host. The aim of this paper is the presentation of the morphological and ecological characteristics of T. spinosa rarely observed in Europe (Maplestone, 1931) yet typical for wild birds from the Far East. The examined nematodes were isolated from the alimentary canals of 1005 wildAnatinae (Anseriformes:Anatidae). The parasites were measured using a micrometer eyepiece, and the analysis of the quantitative structure was performed using the following parameters: extensiveness, intensity, relative density, and dominance index. The morphological description of T. spinosa in this paper is generally consistent with known information on the species, although certain differences were observed in the anatomy of some structures near the mouth of the nematode. The nematode was found in 46 out of the 1005 examined ducks (4.6%), and representing the following species: Aythya ferina, A. fuligula, A. marila, Clangula hyemalis and Melanitta nigra. The typical hosts are ducks from the genus Aythya wintering in the southwestern Baltic.Nicienie z rodzaju Tetrameres (Creplin, 1846) to kosmopolityczne i polikseniczne pasożyty ptaków zarówno lądowych jak i związanych ze środowiskiem wodnym. Pasożyty te charakteryzuje daleko posunięty dymorfizm płciowy oraz ścisła topospecyficzność, ograniczona do żołądka gruczołowego żywiciela. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest przedstawienie charakterystyki morfologicznej i ekologicznej rzadko notowanego w faunie Europy gatunku z tego rodzaju, T. spinosa (Maplestone, 1931), pasożyta dzikich Dalekiego Wschodu.Materiał do badań stanowiły nicienie wyizolowane z przewodów pokarmowych 1005 dzikich Anatinae (Anseriformes: Anatidae). Pasożyty utrwalano i przechowywano w 70-procentowym alkoholu etylowym, a prześwietlano w glicerynie lub 80-procentowym kwasie mlekowym. Do pomiarów pasożyta zastosowano okular pomiarowy, a charakterystykę struktury ilościowej zgrupowania określono wykorzując podstawowe parametry występowania, takie jak: ekstensywność, intensywność, względne zagęszczenie oraz wskaźnik dominacji. Przedstawiony w niniejszej pracy opis morfologiczny T. spinosa odpowiada w znacznej mierze charakterystyce gatunku, jakkolwiek zanotowano pewne różnice w budowie niektórych struktur występujących blisko otworu gębowego. Nicienia zanotowano u 46 spośród 1005 zbadanych kaczek (4,6%) reprezentujących następujące gatunki: Aythya ferina, A. fuligula, A. marila, Clangula hyemalis i Melanitta nigra, jednak typowymi żywicielami są kaczki z rodzaju Aythya zimujące na południowo-zachodnim Bałtyku

Intestinal digeneans of Gavia stellata [Pontoppidan, 1763] and Gavia arctica [Linnaeus, 1758] from West Pomerania, Poland

. In 2000 and 2006 a total of 20 divers including 15 Gavia stellata and 5 Gavia artica from Pomeranian Bay and Szczecin Lagoon were examined. G. stellata were found to be infected with 3 digenean species: Stephanoprora pseudoechinata (Olsson, 1876), Cryptocotyle concava (Creplin, 1825) and Diplostomum gavium (Guberlet, 1922). G. arctica were host to Echinochasmus spinulosus (Rudolphi, 1809). This is the first record of Stephanoprora pseudoechinata in G. stellata and Echinochasmus spinulosus in G. arctica in Poland. The prevalence of S. pseudoechinata infection (46.7%) was higher than that of other digeneans

Charakterystyka morfometryczna Cloacotaenia megalops (Nitzsch in Creplin, 1829) (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) z różnych żywicieli

The tapeworm species Cloacotaenia megalops (Nitzsch in Creplin, 1829) is characterized by a very specific morphology. A particularly distinct feature is a large almost square scolex in which four fleshy suction cups are embedded and a rudimentary rostellum. During standard studies of wild duck cestode fauna in northwestern Poland, some morphological differences were observed among specimens, mainly in the shape of scolices and hermaphroditic proglottids of C. megalops isolated from different bird species. This paper attempts to demonstrate the impact of the host species on morphology of the parasite. The study material consisted of 39 individuals of C. megalops (19 from Aythya fuligula, 10 from Anas platyrhynchos, 4 from Bucephala clangula, 4 from Aythya marila and 2 from A. ferina). The isolated parasites were fixed and stored in 70% ethanol and solid preparations were made. Selected external and internal structures of the parasite were measured and photographed using a Zeiss microscope, a microscope camera Opta Tech 2.1 and Opta View 6.0.2.2. It was stated that the sizes of the most important elements of the parasite morphology are generally consistent with those presented in the available literature, nevertheless some differences were observed in both morphology and sizes of some anatomical structures, especially in the form of scolices and hermaphroditic proglottids between specimens isolated from hosts representing three different eco-tribes (Aythyini, Anatini and Mergini)

Charakterystyka morfometryczna Microsomacanthus baeri Czaplinski and Vaucher 1977 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae)

During standard parasitological research on West Pomeranian ducks, conducted by the Laboratory of Biology and Ecology of Parasites in the years 2000–2011, 16 tapeworms were found in the intestines of five Malards (Anas platyrhynchos) and one Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula). The tapeworms were classified as Microsomacanthus baeri Czaplinski & Vaucher 1977 on the basis of the segments’ internal structure. The presence of this tapeworm in Polish fauna has been indicated beforehand, however, the reports were merely of a contributory character, thus the aim of this thesis was a morphometric characteristic of this parasite.Podczas standardowych badań parazytologicznych dzikich kaczek Pomorza Zachodniego prowadzonych w Pracowni Biologii i Ekologii Pasożytów w latach 2000-2011 w jelitach pięciu krzyżówek {Anas platyrhynchos) i jednej czernicy (Aythya fuligula) stwierdzono obecność 16 tasiemcaców, które na podstawie budowy wewnętrznej członów oznaczono jako Microsomacanthus baeri Czapliński & Yaucher 1977. O obecności tego tasiemca w krajowej faunie informowano już wcześniej, doniesienia miały jedynie charakter przyczynkowy, dlatego celem niniejszej pracy była charakterystyka morfometryczna tego pasożyta

First record of species Microsomacanthus oidemiae Spassky et Jurpalova, 1964 [Cestoda: Hymenolepididae] in wild ducks of north-western Poland

The presently reported study on cestodofauna of wild Anatinae of north−western Poland showed the presence of at least a dozen or so cestodes, hitherto unrecorded in Polish fauna. One of them is Microsomacanthus oidemiae Spassky et Jurpalova, 1964 (Hymenolepididae). This parasite (two not fully developed individuals, including one without a scolex) was found in the common scoter, Melanitta nigra L., (Mergini) wintering on Lake Dąbie near Szczecin

Aythya fuligula - new host for Retinometra pittalugai Lopez-Neyra, 1932 [Cestoda, Hymenolepididae] recorded in Poland for the first time

During standard parasitological studies of the tufted duck Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758), obtained from fishermen from West Pomerania, three cestode specimens were found in the jejunum of hosts. They were determined as Retinometra pittalugai (Lopez−Neyra, 1932) on the basis of the cirrus’s size, shape of stylet and rostellar hooks. This is the first record of this species in Poland, since this parasite was earlier recorded only in Anas platyrhynchos f. dom., Aythya marila, A. ferina and Bucephala clangula in Spain, in Kamchatka and in Novosibirsk

Cloacotaenia megalops (Nitzsch in Creplin, 1829) (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) u dzikich kaczek Pomorza Zachodniego

Cloacotaenia megalops (Nitzsch in Creplin, 1892) is a polyxenic and cosmopolitan tapeworm from the family Hymenolepididae. Its generic name derives from their typical location (cloaca), and the typical final hosts which are birds typically associated with water and marsh environments: Anseriformes, Galliformes and Gruiformes. In Poland, the presence of C. megalops has been observed so far in 16 species of ducks from the Baltic coast, the Mazurian Lake District, Wielkopolsko-Kujawska Lowland, Mazovian Lowland, and Podlasie Lowland. In Western Pomerania, quantitative structure analyses were only carried out on Anas platyrhynchos, and therefore the aim of this study was the detailed analysis of environmental populations of C. megalops in wild ducks. The examined tapeworms were isolated from the digestive tract of 1005 wild ducks representing 17 species belonging to three different eco-tribes: Anatini (n=225), Aythyini (n=413) and Mergini (n=367), from northwestern Poland. During the study 187 C. megalops were found in 89 birds (8.8% of examined ducks) belonging to 7 species: Anas crecca (common teal), A. querquedula (garganey), A. platyrhynchos (mallard) (Anatini); Aythya ferina (pochard), A. fuligula (tufted duck), A. marila (greater scaup) (Aythyini) and Bucephala clangula (goldeneye) (Mergini). The results show the differences in the quantitative structure of C. megalops among the examined species of ducks. The highest prevalence was found in mallard (18.6%) and the lowest in greater scaup (3.2%). The highest mean intensity was observed in greater scaup (4.0), and the lowest in garganey and common teal (1.0). Relative density was at a similar level in the tested birds. Based on the ratio of dominance, it was found that C. megalops is a rare species in the cestodofauna in the examined birds