Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the helminth fauna found in the Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, relating parasite population and community ecological parameters to life aspects of the host species. The study involved 237 specimens of S. magellanicus taken from the northern shore of the state of São Paulo (23° 46' S, 45° 57' W) and southern shore of the state of Rio de Janeiro (23° 02' S, 44° 13' W), Brazil. The following helminth fauna were found: the nematode Contracaecum pelagicum (core species), found in the stomach; the digenetic Cardiocephaloides physalis and the cestode Tetrabothrius lutzi (satellite species), both collected from the initial portion of the small intestine. Comparisons using the Shannon Diversity Index revealed that the parasite community in juvenile penguins is less diverse in the migratory season than the breeding season. Parasitological studies on penguins and other migratory animals provide important information on species during the time in which they remain pelagic and constitute a useful tool for the acquisition of data that is difficult to obtain through other means, thereby favoring the conservation of the species.
Highlights
Migratory animals can provide important information on the environment and are considered key species for conservation
The helminth fauna of this penguin included the nematode Contracaecum pelagicum (Johnston and Mawson, 1942), found in the stomach, the digenetic Cardiocephaloides physalis (Lutz, 1926) and the cestode Tetrabothrius lutzi Parona, 1901, both collected from the initial portion of the small intestine (Table 1)
All three species of helminth fauna found in S. magellanicus in the present study have previously been described for specimens of S. magellanicus found on the Brazilian coast during the migratory season (Parona, 1901; Travassos et al, 1969; Yamaguti, 1961, 1971; Santos, 1984; Vicente et al, 1995; Pazos et al, 2000; Linhares and Di Beneditto, 2005; Garbin et al, 2007; Ederli et al, 2009; Diaz et al, 2010), but constitute new geographic records for the region in question
Summary
Migratory animals can provide important information on the environment and are considered key species for conservation. The Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus Forster, 1781, is endemic to South America, with populations distributed along the coast of Patagonia (Argentina and Chile) and the Falkland Islands/ Malvinas, and is the most abundant penguin in temperate areas This penguin is a top predator in the marine food chain and dependent on this environment for foraging in both the breeding season (October to March), when it performs short daily excursions in search of prey, and the pelagic season (April to September), when it migrates northward to winter on the continental shelf off the coasts of Uruguay and Brazil in order to find the most abundant resources and avoid the adverse environmental conditions found at this time of the year on its breeding grounds (Pazos et al, 2003; Pütz et al, 2007). Flocks that frequent the coast of Brazil come from more northern colonies of the Atlantic, guided by the Falkland/Malvinas current (Sick, 1997; Stokes et al, 1998)
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