Abstract
Abstract The adult nematode Capillaria gracilis (Bellingham, 1840) Travassos, 1915 (Capillariidae) lives in the rectum of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua (L.) and other gadoids. Its life-cycle was unknown until now. Immature specimens were found in sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas) and dab Limanda limanda (L.). Newly released eggs are unembryonated. The larvated eggs, each containing a 300 μm long larva, are directly infective to chironomid larvae (Insecta, Chironomidae), oligochaetes (Annelida, Tubificidae) and sand gobies. In the invertebrate hosts the larvae increase their length to 350 μm; in the intestine of the obligate intermediate fish hosts the non-encapsulated larvae grow to a length of 800 µm. Larvae 600 µm long are infective to Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. Various polychaetes, crustaceans and tish species, including cod and flatfish, were refractory to infection with larvated eggs. The parasite cannot transfer from one cod to another through predation.
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