The characteristics of the helminthofauna of sea birds of the Svalbard archipelago.

Abstract

From the parasitological point of view, the Svalbard Archipelago has been studied insufficiently. All published data on the helminthofauna of sea birds of Svalbard are contained in the articles of Zschokke [14] and Odhner [12], written using the material collected during the zoological expedition of 1900. Other results of faunistic studies and data on ecology and distribution of helminths in birds of Svalbard are absent. For this reason, the parasitologists of Murmansk Marine Biological Institute for the first time performed a complex study of the helminthofauna of sea birds occurring in the Ice Fiord Bay (Western Svalbard). The study material was collected during the expedition performed in June‐August 2001. In total, we examined 68 birds belonging to seven species. The helminths found were fixed and determined using conventional methods. The results of general helminthological examination of birds are summarized in the table. During the examination, we identified eight Trematoda species, twelve Cestoda species, six Nematoda species, and two Acanthocephala species. The data obtained allowed us to reveal consistent specific features in the function of parasitic systems in the area of Svalbard and to perform a comparative analysis of the distribution of helminths that complete their development in birds occurring in different parts of the Barents Sea.