Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1995, Page 105

WHALEWORM IN THE FILLETS OF SAITHE FROM FAROESE WATERS
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Age (years)
1991
1992
1993
1994 Year
Fig 1. Abdundance (mean number per fish examined) of Anisakis simplex larvae in the flllets of saithe, Pollachius
virens, from Faroese waters 1991-94.
Mynd 1. Tættleiki (miðaltal fyri hvønn kannaðan fisk) av Anisakis simplex ormverum í upsaflaki av Føroya-leiðini
1991-94.
tion of saithe infected, varied from zero to
100 %. The mean values for each year de-
clined from 97 % in 1991, to 67 % in 1994
(Table 1). A tendency of decreasing infec-
tion in the same age-class could also be ob-
served (Table 2). Abundance, expressed as
the mean number of parasites per saithe, in-
cluding uninfected fish, varied between
zero and 27 larvae per fish (Fig.l). The
right and left anterior sections of the ventral
fillet ( A and D) were statistically different
(pcO.OOl and p<0.01, two sample t-test, see
Fig.2 and Table 3). The left fillet contained
62 % and the ventral sections had 95 % of
the total number of larvae found (Fig. 2).
The ventral anterior sections contained 75
% of the nematode larvae in the fillets.
Discussion
Hauksson (1992) investigated a large num-
ber of various fishes from Icelandic waters
for nematodes in all organs and in the mus-
cles. In saithe he found a range of 0-33 A.
simplex larvae per fish, the prevalence was