PARASITES OF FRESHWATER FISH: V. PARASITIC HELMINTHS OF THE MUSKALLUNGE, ESOX M. MASQUINONGY MITCHILL, IN THE ST. LAWRENCE WATERSHED

Abstract

The incidence of the following species of helminths recovered from the digestive tract of 218 muskallunge, Esox m. masquinongy, from various localities in the St. Lawrence watershed is recorded: Azygia augusticauda, A. longa, Triaenophorus nodulosus, Proteocephalus pinguis, Neoechinorhynchus cylindratus, Leptorhynchoides thecatus, Metabronema salvelini, and Rhaphidascaris canadensis. One hundred and ninety-two, or 88% of the fish examined were found to harbor one or more species. The most commonly found species were T. nodulosus and A. longa. In all cases the number of worms recovered per host was small.