Aspects of ecology and biogeography of Acanthocephala in antarctic seabirds

Abstract

Four species of acanthocephalans are reported from seabirds, nototheniid fishes and gammaridean amphipods in the western Antarctic. Corynosoma hamanii (von Linstow, 1892) was found in Phalacrocorax atriceps King, Chionis alba (Gmelin), Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, and Catharacta lonnbergi (Mathews). The complete life cycle of this acanthocephalan has been elucidated. Corynosoma singularis Skriabin and Nikol'skii, 1971 was found only in P. atriceps. Corynosoma bullosum (von Linstow, 1892) occurred in both P. atriceps and Pygoscelis papua (Forster). Neither of these species of Corynosoma had previously been reported from avian hosts. Corynosoma shackletoni Zdzitowiecki, 1978 was recorded only as a parasite of P. papua . The host-distribution of Corynosoma spp. in birds suggested that these parasites were being acquired from piscine or possibly amphipod prey, generally in nearshore situations. The host and geographic distributions of Corynosoma in piscine, avian, and mammalian hosts suggested that oceanographic factors, particularly the Antarctic Convergence, could limit the ranges for some species of parasites.