Abstract
Adult Apatemon gracilis (Rudolphi, 1819) were reared experimentally in three different avian hosts: herring gulls Larus argentatus Gmelin, domestic chicks Gallus gallus (L.) and eider ducklings Somateria mollissima (L.). Comparisons of size, body proportions and fecundity were made between these and specimens obtained from a naturally infected goosander Mergus merganser L. The eider duck proved to be a suitable experimental host, rearing adults of comparable size and fecundity to those from the natural host. The growth and development of the parasite in domestic chicks and herring gulls were significantly reduced. Similar conditions are likely to exist in the natural environment and this should be taken into consideration when choosing experimental hosts for use in the laboratory or when identifying species.
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Watson, J.J., Pike, A.W. Variation in the morphology of adult Apatemon gracilis Rudolphi, 1819 (Digenea: Strigeidae) reared in different avian hosts. Syst Parasitol 26, 33–38 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009645
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009645