Abstract
Fish gills appear to be more susceptible than other tissues to toxicants. The latter include petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons, which can induce lesions characterized by excessive mucus secretion, hyperplasia, fusion of secondary gill lamellae and capillary dilation. Fish are also natural hosts to several species of ectoparasites, especially monogeneans which live among the gill filaments. A previous study on the interrelation of water quality, gill parasites and gill pathology provided evidence that fish living in habitats degraded by pollutants such as Biscayne Bay, Florida, were heavily infested with monogeneids especially when gill lesions were severe. Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, are hosts to monogeneans. The authors reported previously that crude oil fractions induced gill lesions in cod and also affected some gastrointestinal parasites. In the light of these reports, a study was undertaken to ascertain whether any relationship existed between gill lesions and gill parasites in cod following chronic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons.
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