Helminth Parasites of the Banded Sculpin,Cottus carolinae(Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae), from Northern Arkansas, U.S.A

Abstract

Between November 2012 and July 2013, 34 banded sculpins (Cottus carolinae) were collected from 5 counties of northern Arkansas and examined for helminths. Five (19%) were infected with 1 or more helminths, including 2 (6%) with the trematode Crepidostomum cooperi, 3 (9%) with the trematode Plagioporus sp., 1 (3%) with the nematode Spiroxys sp., and 1 (3%) with the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus tahlequahensis. One (3%) was concurrently infected with C. cooperi, Plagioporus sp., and Spiroxys sp. We document new host records for each of these helminths and 2 new distributional records for C. cooperi and A. tahlequahensis.