Contamination par Anguillicola crassus de cinq populations d'anguilles (Anguilla anguilla) du littoral de Bretagne sud (France)

Abstract

Eels were sampled in five areas of variable salinity from the coast of south Brittany and examined for their past and present infection by the parasite Anguillicola crassus (Nematoda, dracunculoidea). Eels living in low salinity areas, in contact to the freshwater area, were highly contaminated with prevalence larger than 90 %, with 61% concerning present prevalence. In contrast, eels living in estuarine conditions (Golfe du Morbihan) were relatively preserved with prevalences close to 15%, with less than the half concerning present prevalence. Therefore, the salinity of bays and estuaries seems to preserve from contamination the coastal eel populations whose management becomes a major goal for the eel stock.