Identification of Diplostomum spp. from the eyes of lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchell), based on experimental infection of herring gull chicks, Larus argentatus Pontoppidan

Abstract

Based on the morphology of adults recovered from experimental infection of gulls, the metacercariae from the eyes of lake whitefish were identified as Diplostomum spathaceum indistinctum and Diplostomum baeri bucculentum. The two species inhabit different sites in both fish and bird hosts:D. s. indistinctum in the lens and D. b. bucculentum in the vitreous humour and retina of lake whitefish and D. s. indistinctum in the anterior 20% and D. b. bucculentum in the anterior 60% of the intestine of gulls. Both species can be distinguished by differences in body size, ratios of forebody to hindbody, and position of ovary, and can be separated in mixed infections in gulls.