Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intestinal helminths of a landlocked ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) population in eastern Finland

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A small, landlocked, endangered ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) population lives as a postglacial relict in Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland. In this study, the intestinal metazoans were examined from a total of 61 Saimaa seals found dead from 1981 to 2001. The helminth fauna was very depauperate. Only one acanthocephalan species, Corynosoma magdaleni, has been able to survive during isolation in the freshwater environment. In addition, only two cestode species were found: Diphyllobothrium ditretum and Schistocephalus sp. However, neither of these larvae developed in the ringed seals. As the newborn pups of Saimaa seals are nursed for about 2 months only one of them was infected by C. magdaleni. At 2–5 months the pups harboured worms; however, the mean intensity did not rise distinctively until the seals were adults. C. magdaleni infection increased with increasing age and the abundances were significantly different between the age groups. There was no correlation between the number of parasites and the adult seal body weight; however, seals weighing 36 kg or more carried the majority of the worms. The distribution of the parasites was aggregated; six seals carried 65% (n=1,182) of all worms (total n=1,809) and 26 seals were uninfected. Variation in the number of worms in individual seals may indicate differences in feeding behaviour and in the diet of seals, and/or variation in the immune status of the seals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson RM, Gordon DM (1982) Processes influencing the distribution of parasite numbers within host populations with special emphasis on parasite-induced host mortalities. Parasitology 85:373–398

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barysheva AF, Bauer ON (1957) Fish parasites of Lake Ladoga. In: Petrushevski GK (ed) Parasites and diseases of fish. Bull All-Union Sci Res Inst Freshw Fish 42:171–223

  • Bengtson JL, Stewart BS (1997) Diving patterns of a Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii) near the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 18:214–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM, Shostak AW (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. J Parasitol 83:575–583

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chubb JC (1963) Seasonal occurrence and maturation of Triaenophorus nodulosus (Pallas, 1781) (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) in the pike Esox lucius L. of Llyn Tegid. Parasitology 53:419–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Chubb JC, Valtonen ET, McGeorge J, Helle E (1995) Characterisation of the external features of Schistocephalus solidus (Müller, 1776) (Cestoda) from different geographical regions and an assessment of the status of the Baltic ringed seal Phoca hispida botnica (Gmelin) as a definitive host. Syst Parasitol 32:113–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Dailey MD (1975) The distribution and intraspecific variation of helminth parasites in pinnipeds. Rapp P-V Reun Cons Int Explor Mer 169:338–352

  • Delyamure SL, Popov VN, Trashchenkov AN (1980) A study of the helminth fauna of seals in the Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga. Dokl Vysshei Shkoly, Biol Nauk 7:43–45

  • Forssell AL (1906) Förekomsten af Echinorhynchus semermis Forssell hos våra sälar (In Swedish). Meddelande Soc Fauna Flora Fenn 31:64

    Google Scholar 

  • Helle E, Valtonen ET (1980) On the occurrence of Corynosoma spp. (Acanthocephala) in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in the Bothnian Bay, Finland. Can J Zool . 58:298–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Helle E, Valtonen ET (1981) Comparison between spring and autumn infection by Corynosoma (Acanthocephala) in the ringed seal Pusa hispida in the Bothnian Bay of the Baltic Sea. Parasitology 85:287–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Helle E, Hyvärinen H, Stenman O (1985) PCB and DDT levels in the Baltic and Saimaa seal populations. Finn Game Res 44:63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Hynynen J, Palomäki A, Veijola H, Meriläinen, JJ, Bagge P, Manninen PP, Ustinov A, Bibiceanu, S (1999) Planktonic and zoobenthic communities in an oligotrophic, boreal lake inhabited by an endemic and endangered seal population. Boreal Environ Res 4:145–161

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hyvärinen H, Nieminen M (1990) Differentiation of the ringed seal in the Baltic Sea, Lake Ladoga and Lake Saimaa. Finn Game Res 47:21–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyvärinen H, Sipilä T (1984) Heavy metals and high pup mortality in the Saimaa ringed seal population in eastern Finland. Mar Pollut Bull 15:335–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyvärinen H, Hämäläinen E, Kunnasranta M (1995) Diving behavior of the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis Nordq.) Mar Mamm Sci 11:324–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyvärinen H, Sipilä T, Kunnasranta M, Koskela JT (1998) Mercury pollution and the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) Mar Pollut Bull 36:76–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyvärinen H, Sipilä T, Koskela J, Kunnasranta M (1999) The Saimaa ringed seal. In: Kuusisto E (ed) Saimaa a living lake. Tammi, Helsinki, pp 126–136

  • Jurvelinus J, Heikkinen T (1988) Seasonal migration of vendace, Coregonus albula (L.) in a deep Finnish lake. Finn Fish Res 9:205–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurvelinus J, Lindem T, LouhimoJ (1984) The number of pelagic fish in Lake Paasivesi, Finland, monotored by hydroacoustic methods. Fish Res 2:273–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Kålås S (1995) The ecology of ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernuus (Pisces:Percidae) introduced to Mildevatn, Western Norway. Environ Biol Fish 42:219–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly BP, Wartzok D (1996) Ringed seal diving behavior in the breeding season. Can J Zool 74:1547–1555

    Google Scholar 

  • Kokko H, Lindström J, Ranta E, Sipilä T, Koskela JT (1998) Estimating the demographic effective population size of the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis Nordq.). Anim Conserv 1:47–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kokko H, Helle E, Lindström J, Ranta E, Sipilä T, Courchamp F (1999) Backcasting population sizes of ringed and grey seals in the Baltic and Lake Saimaa during the 20th century. Ann Zool Fenn 36:65–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Koskela JT, Kunnasranta M, Hämäläinen E, Hyvärinen H (2002) Movements and use of haul-out sites of radio-tagged Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis Nordq.) during the open-water season. Ann Zool Fenn 39:59–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunnasranta M (2001) Behavioural biology of two ringed seal (Phoca hispida) subspecies in the large European lakes Saimaa and Ladoga. PhD thesis, University of Joensuu

  • Kunnasranta M, Hyvärinen H, Sipilä T, Koskela JT (1999) The diet of the Saimaa ringed seal Phoca hispida saimensis. Acta Theriol 44):443–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunnasranta M, Hyvärinen H, Häkkinen J, Koskela JT (2002) Dive types and circadian behaviour patterns of Saimaa ringed seals Phoca hispida saimensis during the open-water season. Acta Theriol 47:63–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcogliese DJ, Cone DK (1997) Food webs: a plea for parasites. Trends Ecol Evol 12:320–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Measure L, Gosselin JF (1994) Helminth parasites of ringed seal, Phoca hispida, from northern Quebec, Canada, J Helminthol Soc Wash 61:240–244

  • Montreuil P (1958) Corynosoma magdaleni sp. nov. (Acanthocephala) a parasite of the grey seal in eastern Canada. Can J Zool 36:205–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickol BB, Valtonen ET, Helle E (2002) Corynosoma magdaleni in grey seals from SW Finland Baltic Sea, with emended description of C. magdaleni and C. strumosum. J Parasitol 88:1222–1229

    Google Scholar 

  • Palo JU, Hyvärinen H, Helle E, Mäkinen HS, Väinölä R (2002) Postglacial loss of microsatellite variation in the landlocked Lake Saimaa ringed seal. Conserv Genet (in press)

  • Popov VN, Jurakhno MV, Skriabin VA (1980) Helminth fauna of the Okhotsk ringed seal from the patience Bay and Laperouse Strait. Parasitologija 14:48–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranta E, Lindström J, Kokko H (1996) Ecological risk analysis: the case of the Saimaa ringed seal. Ambio 25:363–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Savolainen E (1975) Distribution and food of Myoxocephalus quadricornis (L.) (Teleostei, Cottidae) in fresh waters of eastern Finland. Ann Zool Fenn12:271–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinisalo T, Valtonen ET (2003) Corynosoma acanthocephalans in their paratenic fish host in the northern Baltic Sea. Parasite 10: (in press)

  • Sipilä T, Helle E, Hyvärinen H (1990) Distribution, population size and productivity of the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis Norgq.) in Finland, 1980–84. Finn Game Res. 47:3-10

  • Sjöberg M, Fedak MA, McConnell BJ (1995) Movements and diurnal behaviour patterns in the Baltic seal (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. Wildl Biol 5:37–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Teilmann J, Born EW, Acquarone M (1999) Behaviour of ringed seal tagged with satellite transmitters in the North Water Polynya during fast-ice formation. Can J Zool 77:1934–1946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson D, Hammond PS, Nicholas KS, Fedak MA (1991) Movements, diving and foraging behaviour of grey seals (Haliochoerus grypus) J Zool 224:223–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Valtonen ET, Helle E (1982) Experimental infection of laboratory rats with Corynosoma semerme (Acanthcephala). Parasitology 85:9-19

    Google Scholar 

  • Valtonen ET, Helle E (1988) Host-parasite relationships between two seal populations and two species of Corynosoma (Acanthocephala) in Finland. J Zool 214:361–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Valtonen ET, Fagerholm HP, Helle E (1988) Contracaecum osculatum (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in fish and seals in Bothnian Bay (northeastern Baltic Sea). Int J Parasitol 18: 365–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Westin L (1970) The food ecology and the annual food cycle in the Baltic population of fourhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus quadricornis (L.). Rep Inst Freshw Res Drottninholm 50:168–210

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Markku Raatikainen for his excellent assistance and for his exceptional ability to make the work enjoyable during the dissection of the seal intestines in the laboratory. We thank fisherman Terho Laitinen for providing us fish samples and Professor Robert Poulin for valuable comments on the manuscript. We also thank Professor Heikki Hyvärinen for the advice and support given to the project. This study was financially supported in part by the Finnish Konkordia association.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.B. 35, 40351, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Tuula Sinisalo & E. Tellervo Valtonen

  2. Department of Biology, University of Joensuu, P.O.B. 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Mervi Kunnasranta

Authors
  1. Tuula Sinisalo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mervi Kunnasranta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Tellervo Valtonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tuula Sinisalo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sinisalo, T., Kunnasranta, M. & Valtonen, E.T. Intestinal helminths of a landlocked ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) population in eastern Finland. Parasitol Res 91, 40–45 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0893-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0893-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation