Parasitic Infections in Stranded Whales and Dolphins in Canary Islands (2018–2022): An Update
Zuleima Suárez-González,
Jorge F. González,
Manuel Arbelo,
Eva Sierra,
Ayoze Castro-Alonso,
Julia N. Hernández,
Vidal Martín,
Natalia Fraija-Fernández,
Antonio Fernández
Affiliations
Zuleima Suárez-González
Division of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Jorge F. González
University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Manuel Arbelo
Division of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Eva Sierra
Division of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Ayoze Castro-Alonso
Division of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Julia N. Hernández
University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
Vidal Martín
Society for the Study of Cetacean in the Canary Archipelago (SECAC), Arrecife, Lanzarote, 35500 Canary Islands, Spain
Natalia Fraija-Fernández
Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Valencia, Spain
Antonio Fernández
Division of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Transmontaña, Arucas, 35413 Canary Island, Spain
The Canary Islands are considered a hot spot for marine species biodiversity. Each stranded cetacean has provided important scientific, biological and pathological information. The morphological identification of parasites in these stranded cetaceans is the main aim of the present article. An investigation to identify parasites was carried out in 233 stranded animals (2018–2022), which were submitted for necropsy. Adult and sub-adult/juvenile animals were the most parasitized age categories, and eighteen parasite species were morphologically identified, including nematodes (Crassicauda grampicola, Crassicauda anthonyi, Halocercus delphini, Anisakis simplex, Stenurus globicephalae, Stenurus ovatus), trematodes (Nasitrema delphini, Oschmarinella rochebruni, Brachycladium atlanticum, Pholeter gastrophilus), cestodes (Clistobothrium delphini, Clistobothrium grimaldii), acanthocephalans (Bolbosoma vasculosum, Bolbosoma capitatum), protists (Toxoplasma gondii) and crustaceans (Conchoderma auritum, Xenobalanus globicipitis, Pennella balaenoptera), as well as nine genera: Crassicauda sp., Halocercus sp., Anisakis sp., Stenurus sp., Nasitrema sp., Oschmarinella sp., Dyphyllobothrium sp., Cyamus sp., Conchoderma sp., and Sarcocystis sp. These could not be identified at the species level. Differences in the host specificity of some parasites were observed, varying in prevalence. The accurate morphological identification of the parasites affecting these marine mammals is essential to understanding disease epidemiology, assessing cetacean populations’ health status, and developing effective conservation and management strategies.
