The spreading of Anguillicola crassus in freshwater lakes in Sweden

Abstract

The first record of Anguillicola crassus in Sweden was made in 1987. Nine years later, the swimbladder parasite was well established not only in thermal discharge areas but in other brackish waters along the coasts as well as in some freshwater lakes. In comparison with certain localities affected by thermal discharges, the infection rate has been much slower in two inland eel stocks and in one coastal stock monitored in this study. There are strong indications that the parasite was introduced into several freshwater lakes as a consequence of active stocking measures using yellow eels caught at the Swedish west coast.