Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2002, Page 133

131
Ecology of Endoparasites of the Atlantic
Puffin (Fratercula arctica grabae)
(Alcidae: Charadriiformes)
Vistfrøðin hjá innvortis Sníkum í Lunda (Fratercula arctica grabae)
(Alcidae: Charadriiformes)
Ámundur Nolsø
Corresponđing address: Department of Marine Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus
Finlandsgade 14, DK-8200 Aarhus N. Email: amundur.nolso@biology.au.dk
Úrtak
Hetta er tann fyrsta víðfevnda kanningin av innvortis
snfkum í lunda. I alt 173 lundar, fleygaðir á Urðini í
Nólsoy, eru kannaðir. Viðurskifti millum vert og sník,
fevnandi lívssøgueyðkenni, likamsstand, aldur, títtleika,
og tíðarfrábrigdi (sesongvariatión) eru viðgjørd. Eitt
slag av trematodu (Gymnophallus sp.); tvey sløg av
bendilormi (Alcataenia sp. og ein limur úr familjuni
Hymenolepidae); trý sløg av nematodum (Streptocara
sp., Seuratia sp. og Contracaecum sp.); og eitt slag av
pentastomidu (Reighardia sp.) vóru funnin. Eingi skaði-
lig árin. elvd av sníkunum, kundu staðfestast. Títtleiki
og nøgd av sníkum í lunda er lægri enn í øðrum sjófugli,
eitt nú havhesti, skrápi og mása.
Abstract
The first extensive study on the endoparasitic fauna in
the Atlantic puffin is reported. A total of 173 puffins
were collected at breeding sites at a colony in Nólsoy
(Faroe Islands). Host-parasite relationships including
life-history characteristics, host fitness and age, preva-
lence of infestation and seasonal variation are discussed.
One digenean species (Gymnophallus sp.), two cestode
species (Alcataenia sp. and a member of the family Hy-
menolepidae), three nematode species (Streptocara sp.,
Seuratia sp. and Contracaecum sp.), and one pentas-
tome species (Reighardia sp.) were found. There was no
negative effect on bird fitness owing to the presence of
parasites. The prevalence and intensity of parasite infes-
tation in Faroese pufftns are lower than in other seabird
species, namely, fulmars, great shearwaters and gulls.
Introduction
Much work has been reported on the en-
doparasitic fauna of Paciftc auks (Hoberg,
1981; 1982; 1984a; 1984b; 1984c; 1984d)
and some investigations, mainly based on
old material, have been made of Atlantic
auks (Madsen, 1939; Baer, 1956; Threlfall,
1971; Dyck, 1975; Hoberg, 1991; Ólafs-
dóttir etal., 1996).
Hilherto, the only reports on endopara-
sites in Faroese auks are those of Krabbe in
1869 on cestodes in black guillemot (Cep-
phus grylle) and in common murre (Uria
aalge) (Madsen, 1939), and on pentas-
tomes in U. aalge (Dyck, 1975). No previ-
ous work has been reported on the Atlantic
puffin (Fratercula arctica grabae) .
Ecological aspects of the parasite-host
relationship in seabirds and waterfowls
have been investigated by several authors
(Cornwell and Cowan, 1963; Threlfall,
1967; Avery; 1969; Threlfall, 1971; Kenne-
dy et al., 1985; Wallace and Pence, 1986;
Edwards and Bush, 1989; Hoberg and
Ryan, 1989). These workers have studied
Fróðskaparrit 50. bók 2002: 131-142