Maritrema Subdolum Research Articles

The phylogenetic position of Maritrema afanassjewi Belopol'skaya, 1952 (Digenea, Plagiorchiida: Microphallidae), a parasite of the Ussuri brown bear, Ursus arctos lasiotus Gray, 1867 (Carnivora, Ursidae)

Adult digeneans of Maritrema afanassjewi Belopol'skaya, 1952 parasitize birds and mammals along the North Pacific coasts and were previously studied in terms of morphology. However, morphological features not supported by molecular characterization are considered an insufficient tool for the identification of evolutionary lineages of microphallid digeneans. Here we provide the first data on the phylogenetic position of this species inferred from sequences of the 28S rRNA gene and the ITS2 locus of the nuclear DNA, as well as additional morphometric data. The trematodes were isolated from the intestine of the Ussuri brown bear ( Ursus arctos lasiotus Gray, 1867) on Iturup Island (the southern Kuril Islands). This is the second record of M. afanassjewi in the brown bear. The phylogeny based on the 28S rRNA gene was poorly resolved for this parasite species. The analyses based on the ITS2 locus dataset showed that M. afanassjewi was a low-supported sister to Maritrema subdolum Jägerskiöld, 1909.

Description of Maritrema portucalensis sp. nov. (Digenea, Microphallidae) parasite of Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Aveiro estuary, Northern Portugal

AbstractMaritrema portucalensis sp. nov. (Digenea, Microphallidae) from Aveiro estuary, northern Portugal, is described on the basis of excysted metacercariae obtained from the gill lamellae of the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.). M. portucalensis sp. nov. most closely resembles Maritrema subdolum Jägerskiöld, 1909, a species that also frequently uses C. maenas as second intermediate host. The new species differs from M. subdolum in having a narrower body at the level of testes and a smaller ovary and testes. Also, the digestive caeca presented various folds along their length, thickening in the terminal region. Moreover, the body surface was fully covered by tegumental spines provided with several teeth. To complement our morphological characterization and to identify M. portucalensis metacercariae, the ITS1 rDNA region of the cysts isolated from C. maenas was sequenced and compared with the corresponding available sequences of digenean trematodes belonging to the family Microphallidae. Alignments revealed 28 base-pair differences between the query-ITS1 and that of M. subdolum, and more importantly a 100% similarity with the sequence of Microphallidae sp. no. 15 cercaria from the snail Hydrobia ulvae. The last observation allowed us to establish an unequivocal association between cercaria known as Microphallidae sp. no. 15, and the metacercaria of M. portucalensis sp. nov. characterized in this work, contributing decisively to the clarification of its life cycle.

The neuro-muscular system in cercaria with different patterns of locomotion

The neuro-muscular system (NMS) of cercariae with different swimming patterns was studied with immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Specimens of the continuously swimming Cercaria parvicaudata, Maritrema subdolum and Himasthla elongata were compared with specimens of the intermittently swimming Cryptocotyle lingua and the attached Podocotyle atomon. The patterns of F-actin in the musculature, 5-HT immunoreactive (-IR), FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements, α-tubulin-IR elements in the nervous and sensory systems and DAPI-stained nuclei were investigated. The general plan of the NMS was similar in all cercariae studied. No major structural differences in the patterns of muscle fibres were observed. However, in the tail of C. lingua, transverse muscle fibres connecting the bands of longitudinal muscles were found. No major structural differences in the 5-HT- or FMRFamide-IR nervous systems were observed. The number of 5-HT-IR neurones in the cercarial bodies varied between 12 and 14. The number and distribution of the α-tubulin-IR processes on the cercarial bodies and tails differed from each other. The relation between the number and structure of the α-tubulin-IR processes and the host finding strategy of the cercariae is discussed. A detailed schematic picture of the NMS in the tails of C. lingua and M. subdolum is presented.

Intestinal Helminths of the Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularius (L.), During Fall Migration in New Brunswick, Canada, with a Checklist of Helminths Reported from this Host

Eleven species of helminths (7 trematodes, 3 cestodes, and 1 acanthocephalan) were recovered from 12 spotted sandpipers, Actitis macularius (Linnaeus, 1766), collected from marine habitats in New Brunswick, Canada, during fall migration in August of 2003. All 12 sandpipers were infected, with the numbers of helminths ranging from 2 to 942 individuals; species richness ranged from 2 to 7. The cestode Anomotaenia hypoleuci was the most prevalent helminth and is designated a host specialist. The trematodes Microphallus papillorobustus and Maritrema subdolum were the most abundant helminths. Adult birds tended to have fewer parasites than juveniles, but the data are inconclusive. Each of the helminth species represents a new host record. A checklist of helminth parasites reported from the spotted sandpiper in North and South America is included.

Intestinal Helminths of Fall-Migrating Ruddy Turnstones, Arenaria interpres (L.), from New Brunswick, Canada, with a Checklist of Helminths Reported from this Host

Nine species of helminths (5 trematodes and 4 cestodes) were recovered from 10 (3 adults, 7 juveniles) ruddy turnstones, Arenaria interpres, collected from a marine habitat on Miscou Island in New Brunswick, Canada, during fall migration in August of 2003. The number of helminths per bird ranged from 24 to 36,217 individuals; the number of helminth species per bird ranged from 3 to 6. The parasite taxa were typically distributed, with 2 or 3 species predominant and the remaining species making up a relatively small proportion of the total. The cestode Anomotaenia clavigera was the most prevalent helminth; the trematodes Microphallus papillorobustus and Maritrema subdolum were the most abundant helminths, together accounting for 94.6% of all helminths recovered. This study is the first to examine the helminth parasites of turnstones during fall migration. A checklist of helminth parasites previously reported from the ruddy turnstone is included.

Infection characteristics of a trematode in an estuarine isopod: influence of substratum

The estuarine isopod Cyathura carinata is a second intermediate host to microphallid trematodes, which use mud snails Hydrobia spp. and shorebirds as respectively first intermediate and final hosts. To identify processes responsible for infection patterns observed in C. carinata, a short-term microcosm experiment was conducted with both macroinvertebrates and one of their common parasites – Maritrema subdolum. Fine sand collected from two different shallow water sites was used to test if sediment type could affect infection rates. After 7 days at 25 °C, C. carinata from the substratum with the highest proportion of particles <125 μm were more surface active and obtained significantly more M. subdolum individuals than isopods from the other sediment type. No parasite-induced effects on the hosts were found during this short-term experiment. The distribution pattern of microphallid cysts and mesocercariae inside the isopods revealed that M. subdolum cercariae primarily penetrated through the pleopods and afterwards located themselves in the middle-posterior region of the host’s body. Even if it was not possible to identify the factor responsible for the observed infection patterns (cercariae production and/or host behaviour), the results of this experiment indicate that small-scale factors, such as differences in substratum and associated features, may have considerable impact on infections of host populations.

Microphallids inGammarus insensibilisStock, 1966 from a Black Sea lagoon: manipulation hypothesis going East?

Patterns of parasite site selection, variation in infection parameters and interspecific associations are examined in the light of new field data on larval microphallids in Gammarus insensibilis from a Black Sea lagoon. These patterns are discussed in relation to the predictions for the manipulative effect of Microphallus papillorobustus and its relationships with the other microphallid species based on studies on the French Mediterranean coast. Four species were recovered: Maritrema subdolum, Microphallus hoffmanni, M. papillorobustus and Levinseniella propinqua. The latter two were located in both corporal and cephalic segments, but the selection of brain appeared stronger for L. propinqua. M. subdolum was the first colonizer of amphipod population recruits, and unequivocally the dominant species in the lagoon. There was a significant positive relationship between the parasite load of all 4 species. Concurrent infections were exceedingly frequent, and no departures from random association were detected. We found no evidence that the cerebral metacercariae of M. papillorobustus consistently predict the parasite load of any of the other species in the system and identify sources for heterogeneity that may account for the differences between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean system: habitat heterogeneity, bird diversity and host-parasite systems used to infer relationships between microphallids.

Trematodes in a Cyathura carinata population from a temperate intertidal estuary: infection patterns and impact on host

A study was initiated to identify trematode patterns in Cyathura from two key sites in the Mondego Estuary: a Zostera-bed and a sand flat. The two subpopulations of Cyathura differ, as the annual recruitment success is much higher and more regular on the sandflat than on the Zostera-bed.Counting and sizing of trematode cysts inside the body of preserved Cyathura specimens enabled a description of trematode patterns in space and time. Further identification of trematodes was based on DNA studies of unpreserved cysts as well as on identification of parasites in co-occurring mud snails. Two trematode species dominated in Cyathura: Maritrema subdolum (cysts around 190 μm) and a hitherto unknown Levinseniella species (cysts around 340 μm), the latter being the most frequent one. Generally, the prevalence of both species peaked during winter months, when migratory water birds occur in the estuary. Cyathura from the Zostera bed harboured more infections per specimen than those from the sand flat. A much higher density of mud snails ≥52 mm (which can be host to microphallids) and a low abundance of Cyathura are thought to be the main reasons for this pattern. Field data did indicate a host size-dependent maximum number of cysts in Cyathura that could be a result of enhanced mortality at high cyst intensities. Furthermore, parasites were underrepresented among ovigerous Cyathura specimens, suggesting a negative impact on gametogenesis. As a consequence, microphallid trematodes may be a critical factor controlling recruitment strength in Cyathura, especially at the Zostera-site.

Use of ITS rDNA for discriminating of larval stages of two microphallid (Digenea) species using Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant, 1777) and Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766) as intermediate hosts.

Digenean trematodes encompass several species with little morphological differentiation in the larval stages and, as a result, uncertainty prevails regarding species identification. The microphallid trematode Maritrema subdolum occurs widespread geographically in mud snail and crustacean hosts in European marine shallow-water ecosystems. Larval stages of this and other congeneric species are, however, difficult to separate morphologically. To verify the species status and to secure identification of two co-occurring microphallids, M. subdolum and microphallid sp. no. 15 (Deblock, 1980), we examined the nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1, ITS2). From fragments consisting of both ITS regions and the 5.8S gene (nearly 1,200 bp), a sequence divergence of 2.9% between the two types was recorded. In accordance with the morphological traits of the cercariae (stylet shape, length), the results support the view that the two types actually represent different species. Species-specific primers were prepared for each species. They proved to be efficient diagnostic tools for identifying single larval-stage individuals. Using these primers, infections in host organisms were also verified without performing a dissection of the host individuals.

Factors influencing the distribution of digenetic trematode infections in a mudsnail (Hydrobia ventrosa) population inhabiting salt marsh ponds in Iceland.

This study analyzed the influence of several abiotic and biotic variables on the distribution of digenetic trematode infections in a mudsnail, Hydrobia ventrosa, population inhabiting 12 ponds on the Melabakkar salt marsh in Iceland, the northwestern limits of the geographical distribution. Nine trematode species were found to infect the snail population, which included Microphallus pirum, Microphallus breviatus, Microphallus claviformis, Maritrema subdolum (Microphallidae), Cercaria Notocotylidae sp. 11 Deblock, 1980, C. Notocotylidae sp. 12 Deblock, 1980, C. Notocotylidae sp. 13 Deblock, 1980 (Notocotylidae), Cryptocotyle concavum (Heterophyidae), and Psilostomum brevicolle (Psilostomatidae). Correlations between biotic variables (snail density in the ponds and vegetation cover), abiotic variables (distance of each pond from the sea, pond elevation above chart datum, size, average depth, salinity, and some characters of the littoral zone and sediments), and trematode infections were analyzed. These variables indirectly affected the trematode infections because some determined how attractive the ponds were for the final hosts, which were various species of marine and shore birds. We propose that their habitat use and defecating habits are the main determinants of the trematode distribution in the area.

The Hydrobia ulvae-Maritrema subdolum association: cercarial emergence controlled by host activity.

The release of Maritrema subdolum cercariae (Digenea: Microphallidae) from the marine mud snail Hydrobia ulvae is significantly affected by temperature, salinity, light and exudates from the second intermediate amphipod host. Based on (i) previously published data on temperature-salinity dependent H. ulvae activity, (ii) new experimental data on H. ulvae activity in light and darkness as well as in the presence and absence of host exudates, and (iii) the cercarial emergence rate from free moving snails and snails prevented from crawling, the present analysis indicates that emergence of M. subdolum larvae is regulated mainly by host activity as the ultimate factor for release. The adaptive significance of such an emergence strategy is emphasized.

The Hydrobia ulvae-Maritrema subdolum association: influence of temperature, salinity, light, water-pressure and secondary host exudates on cercarial emergence and longevity.

The effects of environmental factors and exudates from the amphipod Corophium volutator on the emergence of Maritrema subdolum cercariae (Digenea: Microphallidae) from the snail Hydrobia ulvae were investigated in the laboratory. Increasing the temperature (15 to 25 degrees C) caused an overall 11-fold increase in emergence rate under varying salinities (24 to 36 per thousand). The effect of salinity depended on the experimental temperature. Emergence increased with increasing salinity at higher temperatures, but decreased with increasing salinity at 15 degrees C. Whereas the different levels of salinity had no effect, increasing the temperature significantly reduced the life span of cercariae. In comparison with complete darkness, light caused a two-fold increase in emergence, whereas an increment of the water pressure from 1.0 to 1.3 ATM (corresponding to 0 and 3 m of depth) left the shedding rate unaffected. Unidentified exudates from the second intermediate host, C. volutator, significantly depressed the cercarial emergence rate. The main transmission window of M. subdolum seems to occur during low water in tidal pools where light levels are high and solar radiation rapidly elevates the water temperature, as well as salinity through evaporation. The consequence of such a transmission strategy is discussed in relation to the impact of M. subdolum on the population dynamics of the second intermediate host.

Component community of larval trematodes in the mudsnail Hydrobia ventrosa: temporal variations in prevalence in relation to host life history.

Temporal variations in the prevalence of larval trematodes in the short-lived prosobranch mudsnail Hydrobia ventrosa (Montagu) were investigated in relation to host life history and season for 4 successive years in temperate windflats of the southern Baltic Sea. The component community of trematode larvae in H. ventrosa comprises at least 10 species; families (and species) represented include Notocotylidae (1), Echinostomatidae (1 or 2), Heterophyidae (2), Monorchidae (1), Microphallidae (3 or 4), Psilostomatidae (1), and Hemiuridae (1). The notocotylid Paramonostomum alveatum was the most prevalent species, followed by the microphallids Maritrema subdolum and Microphallus sp. Trematode prevalence in H. ventrosa fluctuated seasonally. Prevalence usually peaked in summer between July and September-October and decreased in late winter-early spring. This seasonal change is chiefly explained by the life history patterns of the semelparous snail host. Hydrobia ventrosa has a maximum life span of about 2 yr and reproduces between June and November of its second calendar year. The first trematode infections appeared annually in May when the most abundant cohort of H. ventrosa, the second-calendar-year snails, mature. The prevalence continued to increase until August-September, throughout the reproductive period of the second-calendar-year snails, Prevalence decreased during winter, when most of the second-calendar-year snails died after reproduction. On the basis of longterm laboratory experiments, it has been shown that the late autumn-winter mortality was not the result of trematode infections. Seasonal patterns of prevalence were similar among the trematode species except for the monorchid Asymphylodora demeli, the only one using fish definitive hosts. Species-specific differences in the seasonal occurrence of prepatent infections and the predominance of certain larval stages in winter are interpreted as different strategies of the trematode species to survive the harsh winter conditions, or to survive the death of the first intermediate host in autumn-winter, or both.

Parasite populations and communities from the shallow littoral of the Orther Bight (Fehmarn, SW Baltic Sea).

Parasites of host guilds, such as mud snails (five species), benthic crustaceans (six species) and small-sized fishes ( Pomatoschistus microps, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Pungitius pungitius, young Pleuronectes flesus), were investigated in the Other Bight off West Fehmarn (Kiel Bight, German Baltic Sea). The hosts, especially the herbivorous Hydrobia spp, Gammarus spp and Idothea chelipes, attained extremely high densities in three habitats ( Enteromorpha belt, Fucus belt, sandy bottom), which may be a consequence of high eutrophication. Fish as carnivores and several helminths as parasites can profit from these massive appearances - more than 5,000 Hydrobia mud snails/m(2) or 282 I. chelipes/m(2). Prevalences of mud snails peaked in summer, by up to 30% extra, whereas species of benthic crustaceans attained increases of 47-100%, fish 57-100%. The most abundant helminths were the digeneans Maritrema subdolum, Microphallus claviformis and Asymphylodora demeli in Hydrobia spp, Maritrema subdolum, Microphallus papillorobustum, Levinseniella brachysoma and Podocotyle atomon in benthic crustaceans and Cryptocotyle concavum, Podocotyle atomon and Brachyphallus crenatus in fish. The copepod Thersitina gasterostei was also abundant in sticklebacks. The density of parasites (number/m(2)) peaked in summer, with more than 10,000 Maritrema subdolum metacercariae in I. chelipes from the Fucus belt and more than 1,000 in I. chelipes from the Enteromorpha belt or the sandy bottom. There was a clear seasonality in the appearance of digeneans in G. locusta, G. salinus and I. chelipes infected by M. subdolum and Gammarus spp infected by L. brachysoma and P. atomon. Therefore, the Orther Bight may be a epizootiotope for M. subdolum and C. concavum, i.e. a habitat with an extreme infection rate which can endanger the population of the host. Idothea chelipes also has a high infection potential to the final hosts of M. subdolum, crustacean-feeding birds. Similar relationships were found between the bird digenean C. concavum and the common goby Pomatoschistus microps. The infection mechanisms of both benthic crustaceans and small-sized fish follow the rule of predation in two steps: dispersion and accumulation.

Hitch-hiking parasite: a dark horse may be the real rider

Many parasites engaged in complex life cycles manipulate their hosts in a way that facilitates transmission between hosts. Recently, a new category of parasites (hitch-hikers) has been identified that seem to exploit the manipulating effort of other parasites with similar life cycle by preferentially infecting hosts already manipulated. Thomas et al. (Evolution 51 (1997) 1316) showed that the digenean trematodes Microphallus papillorobustus (the manipulator) and Maritrema subdolum (the hitch-hiker) were positively associated in field samples of gammarid amphipods (the intermediate host), and that the behaviour of Maritrema subdolum rendered it more likely to infect manipulated amphipods than those uninfected by M. papillorobustus. Here I provide experimental evidence demonstrating that M. subdolum is unlikely to be a hitch-hiker in the mentioned system, whereas the lucky candidate rather is the closely related but little known species, Microphallidae sp. no. 15 (Parassitologia 22 (1980) 1). As opposed to the latter species, Maritrema subdolum does not express the appropriate cercarial behaviour for hitch-hiking.

Infestation patterns of microphallid trematodes in Corophium volutator (Amphipoda)

Infestation patterns of digenetic trematodes in Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766) were studied in a shallow-water area of the southern Baltic Sea. The amphipod C. volutator is the most common second intermediate host of microphallid trematodes, in particular Maritrema subdolum, in this area. Seasonal and interannual alterations in infestation among the amphipod population are described. The general trend of infestation followed a relatively invariable seasonal pattern. Lowest prevalences were generally observed in spring and early summer, when juvenile amphipods predominated. Increasing prevalences and relative infestation intensities were recorded over the summer, with the highest values in late summer and autumn. These observations are mainly explained by the population dynamics of C. volutator and the infection dynamics of the first intermediate hosts, mudsnails of the genus Hydrobia. Exceptionally high infestation rates in summer 1997 may have been triggered by the earlier appearance of high cercaria densities in the field compared to 1996. The coincidence of the infection dynamics of the first intermediate host with the population dynamics of C. volutator was apparently important. Parasite infestation, in turn, obviously induced mortality of the crustacean host, but conclusive evidence could not be provided based on the analysis of the parasite dispersion patterns in C. volutator.

Histopathological effects of larval trematode infections in mudsnails and their impact on host growth: what causes gigantism in Hydrobia ventrosa (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)?

Abstract The histopathology and the patterns of spatial integration of different types of trematode larvae (sporocysts, rediae) were examined in relation to the stage of gonadal development of the host, the prosobranch semelparous mudsnail Hydrobia ventrosa . Snail growth was analysed in relation to the type of infection (sporocyst or rediae, prepatent or patent). Seven taxa of larval trematodes were found during this investigation: Maritrema subdolum , Microphallus sp., Levinseniella brachysoma , Cryptocotyle concavum , Paramonostomum alveatum , Asymphylodora demeli , and Himasthla sp. H. ventrosa reached maturity at a size of 1.6–2.0 mm, after a lifespan of 9–10 months. Trematode infections were observed 1–2 months after maturation in snails larger than 2 mm. The parthenitae generation of all trematode species was located in the organs of the reproductive system (gonad, albumen gland, prostata) of H. ventrosa . In consequence, the affected organs, in particular the gonads, showed severe histopathological alterations. Effects differed between the prepatent and patent period. If infections appeared before meiosis of germ cells, the germinal epithelium of the gonadal tubules was still present. If infections appeared during meiosis of host germ cells, the germinal epithelium of the gonadal tubules was almost completely absent. The gonadal tissue was completely replaced by daughter sporocysts or rediae during the patent period. Sporocysts invaded also the accessory sex glands. In no instances were histopathological alterations of the digestive gland observed. Growth rates of snails with prepatent infections were similar to growth rates of uninfected snails. Growth of snails with patent infections was significantly enhanced. The increment in shell size per day was higher in snails infected with patent sporocysts than in snails infected with patent rediae. Gigantism in infected H. ventrosa is interpreted as a side-effect of parasitic castration.

Laboratory Studies of Parasite Transmission Aspects between Hydrobia spp. (Gastropoda) and Corophium volutator (Amphipoda)

AbstractAspects of parasite transmission between Hydrobia spp. and Corophium volutator, first and second intermediate host of digenetic trematodes, were investigated under laboratory conditions. H. ventrosa is used as an intermediate host by several trematode species. Under laboratory conditions the most frequently observed emergence from H. ventrosa was of cercariae of Maritrema subdolum. The number of cercariae shed per day varied considerably. It was observed that 30 cercariae on average and up to 450 cercariae at maximum can emerge from a single H. ventrosa per day. Cercarial production continued until the death of the snails. The life‐span of cercariae of the species M. subdolum decreased as the water temperature increased. It can be concluded that under natural conditions the cercariae, after emerging, have a maximum period of 1 day in which to seek out their second intermediate host C. volutator. Almost all specimens of C. volutator exposed to cercariae of the species M. subdolum died within the test period of 6 days. High average cercarial densities caused short life‐spans (&lt;50 h), while at lower densities longer survival times were possible. For cercariae of other Trematoda species, we were unable to find any equally clear evidence of a reduction in the survival rate of C. volutator within the test period. Mortality of C volutator, and other effects of infestation, as observed in our experiment, can be assumed to be a result of the penetration process of the cercariae but they also can be attributed to the mesocercariae.

The structure and formation of metacercarial cysts in the trematode family Microphallidae Travassos 1920

This study deals with the formation of the metacercarial cysts of four microphallid trematodes, Maritrema subdolum, M. arenaria, Levinseniella brachysoma and Microphallus claviformis. The first observable cyst was present around Maritrema arenaria 18 h p.i. (post-infection). The other species had not developed a cyst by day 8 p.i. but their cysts were apparent by day 16 p.i. These were bi-layered and that of M. subdolum was thicker than those of L. brachysoma and Microphallus claviformis of the same age. The structure of older cysts varied substantially between the four species. Microphallus claviformis and Maritrema subdolum cysts were fully formed at 30 days p.i. Like those of M. arenaria they were bi-layered, the outer layer (up to 3 microm thick) being electron-dense and the inner one (up to 7 microm thick) being less electron-dense. The cysts of fully formed L. brachysoma metacercariae were much more complex, composed of four layers, one of which was divisible into three sub-layers. It was concluded that the outer cyst layer was the product of secretory granules which were previously identified in cercarial tegument. The inner, thicker layer was derived from several sources. These included small tegument vesicles produced over the entire surface of the metacercariae, larger fragments of tegument released from the anterio-ventral region and material liberated from the metacercarial excretory bladder. This heterogeneous material accumulated in the cyst lumen for some time before becoming polymerized to form the thick inner layer or layers of the metacercarial cysts.

Population dynamics and parasitation of planktonic and epibenthic crustaceans in the Baltic Schlei fjord

The planktonic and epibenthic crustacean fauna from two sites of the brackish Schlei fjord, Northern Germany, was investigated over a six-month period. Calanoid and cyclopoid copepods were more abundant in lower salinities, whereas, benthic decapods, isopods and amphipods prevailed in the site of higher salinity. Cestodan larvae were found only in spring which may be due to the timing of the respective life-cycles. Parasites of benthic crustaceans, mostly digenean metacercariae but also cestodans, acanthocephalans and nematodes, appeared from spring to late summer. Decreasing salinities caused lower intensities of the most abundant parasite,Maritrema subdolum; only the true brackish-water species among the hosts were more heavily infested than those found in higher salinities. The correlation of parasite size and host size at infestation became apparent. Therefore,Crangon crangon is an optimal host for the largePodocotyle atomon metacercariae. Coevolutive trends between some hosts and parasites are made evident.