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Studies on the effects of cage culture of fish on the parasite fauna in a lowland freshwater loch in the west of Scotland

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Abstract

The parasite fauna of cultured and wild fish in an eutrophic lowland freshwater loch in the west of Scotland was studied and compared in order to assess the impact of 4 years' fish culture activity on the natural fauna. Strigeid metacercariae dominated the fauna but infection was lower in caged trout than in feral trout and wild fish. Important protozoan pathogens were present and were probably introduced with stocked fish. Intensity of protozoa was low, probably due to therapeutic chemical treatments, with the exception ofTrichodina sp. which was a persistent problem. Endoparasitic helminths typical of salmonids were absent. The introduction of a new host species had little effect at this stage on the diversity of the parasitic helminth fauna but probably influenced the relative abundance of certain species.

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McGuigan, J.B., Sommerville, C. Studies on the effects of cage culture of fish on the parasite fauna in a lowland freshwater loch in the west of Scotland. Z. Parasitenkd. 71, 673–682 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00925600

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