Expansion of the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo L. 1758) to the Northwest of Russia as a Possibility of the Spread of Parasites

Abstract

The first data on the parasites of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) from the coast of Lake Ladoga are obtained. The parasite fauna of the great cormorant consists of five species: Cestoda (2 species), Trematoda (2 species), and Nematoda (1 species). Four species (Petasiger phalacrocoracis (Yamaguti, 1939), Petasiger radiatus (Dujardin, 1845), Paradilepis scolecina (Rudolphi, 1819), and Contracaecum rudolphii (Hartwich, 1964)) are recorded in Karelia for the first time. The active expansion and increasing number of great cormorants within the territory of Karelia could be a reason for epizootic caused by invasive parasite species.