Leeches (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae)--parasites of Antarctic fish from Channichthyidae family.

Abstract

There has hitherto been very few research projects focusing on ectoparasites of Antarctic fishes. The presently reported study provides data on the prevalence and the intensity of leeches (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) infecting fishes. The materials were collected in December-February 1986/87 off the Elephant Island, South Georgia, Joinville Island, and South Shetlands. The following leech taxa were recorded in the Antarctic fishes of the family Channichthyidae: Trulliobdella capitis (Brinkmann, 1947); Cryobdella antarctica Epstein, 1970; Nototheniobdella sawyeri Utevsky, 1997; and Cryobdella sp. The above findings constitute new geographic records from off Elephant and Joinville Island and South Georgia.