Occurrence of Nematodes in the alimentary tract of great cormorants [Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758)] in colonies located in the upper and lower Vistula River

Abstract

Abstract The occurrence of nematodes in the alimentary tract of great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (L., 1758) nestlings was studied in the Włocławek Reservoir located on the Vistula in central Poland and in adult birds wintering in the south of Poland, with the food base in the upper Vistula. Mixed (max 4 species) nematode infections were found in all birds. Apart from Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 found in all studied birds, the third- and fourth-stage larvae as well as adult individuals of the following species were also present: Eustrongylides excisus Jägerskiöld, 1909, Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809), Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802), Desmidocercella numidica Seurat, 1920, Synquaria squamata (Linstow, 1883), Cosmocephalus obvelatus (Creplin, 1825), Baruscapillaria carbonis (Dubinin et Dubinina, 1940). The overall mean intensity of infection with nematodes was 23.4 ± 11.6 in nestlings and 175.7 ± 110.9 in adult cormorants. The most common species was C. rudolphii with the mean infection intensity of 12.5 ± 5.9 in nestlings and 154.6 ± 111.4 in adults. The second most common species was E. excisus. S. squamata, C. obvelatus and D. numidica were less common in both age groups. A. simplex and H. aduncum were found only in nestlings, while B. carbonis only in adults.