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Ectoparasite abundance and apparent absence of hemoparasites in two albatross species in Sub-Antarctic Chile

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Abstract

The Black-browed Albatross (BBA, Thalassarche melanophrys) and the Grey-headed Albatross (GHA, Thalassarche chrysostoma) are long-lived sympatric species breeding in the Atlantic and Pacific sections of the Southern Ocean. While the Atlantic populations of these two species have been the subject of several studies, little information is available on the most important colonies in the Southeast Pacific Ocean (Chile). The presence of parasites in these long-lived hosts has been described for the colonies in the Southern Atlantic, but not in those from Chile. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify ectoparasites and hemoparasites associated with both species breeding in the Diego Ramírez Archipelago (56°S) in Southern Chile. Chicks were examined for ectoparasites during the breeding seasons in 2010 and 2011 (GHA, n = 80; BBA, n = 40). Parasites were collected manually, mounted, and identified to species level. The sex and developmental stage of adult ectoparasites were also determined. Ectoparasites were detected on 78.75 and 32.50% of GHA and BBA chicks, respectively. A total of 126 ectoparasites were obtained: 103 Ixodes uriae ticks (GHA 79.62%, BBA 20.38%); 22 Parapsyllus longicornis fleas (GHA = 31.8%, BBA = 68.2%); and a single Austromenopon affine louse (found on GHA). Diego Ramírez represents a new record and distribution range for I. uriae and A. affine. The presence of hemoparasites was explored on blood smears for GHA (n = 26) and BBA (n = 119), but none were recorded in either of these albatrosses.

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Fig. 1

Modified from Robertson et al. (2007)

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Acknowledgements

The authors offer their thanks to Armada de Chile (3ra Zona Naval) for supporting our fieldwork in Diego Ramírez. The authors extend their gratitude to Graham Robertson, Carlos A. Moreno, Sebastián Rosenfeld, Jaime Ojeda, Andrés Barbosa, and Roberto P. Schlatter for their key support and comments during different stages of this study, and to María Fernanda González for assistance in the microscopical analysis of blood smears.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Barrio Universitario S/N, Concepción, Chile

    Sebastián Llanos & Lucila Moreno Salas

  2. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Cristián G. Suazo & Petra Quillfeldt

  3. Laboratorio de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile

    Jaime A. Cursach

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  1. Sebastián Llanos
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  2. Cristián G. Suazo
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  3. Petra Quillfeldt
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  4. Jaime A. Cursach
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  5. Lucila Moreno Salas
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Correspondence to Lucila Moreno Salas.

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Llanos, S., Suazo, C.G., Quillfeldt, P. et al. Ectoparasite abundance and apparent absence of hemoparasites in two albatross species in Sub-Antarctic Chile. Polar Biol 41, 143–147 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2177-1

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