Parasites of invasive pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792) (Actinopterygii: Salmonidae), in the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea

Abstract

Pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792), a native of the North Pacific Ocean, is an invasive fish species rapidly expanding in the North Atlantic, the adjacent waters of the Arctic Ocean, and rivers in their watersheds. We investigated the species composition of parasites and the structure of parasite communities of the introduced pink salmon in Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea in 2021. The parasites were identified using morphological and genetic methods. A total of 14 parasite species were recorded. The core species of the parasitic fauna of the introduced pink salmon in the Kandalaksha Bay were Clistobothrium sp., ʽDiphyllobothriumʼ spp., Scolex polymorphus Rudolphi, 1819 (plerocercoids), Brachyphallus crenatus (Rudolphi, 1802), Derogenes varicus (Müller, 1784), Lecithaster salmonis Yamaguti, 1934 (adults), Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809) sensu stricto (juvenile III), and Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802) (juveniles III and IV). We provided the first evidence that the Pacific genetic lineage of A. simplex sensu stricto occurs in European marine waters. In 2021, there was a noticeable increase in the mean abundance of the third-stage juveniles of Anisakis in the White Sea pink salmon compared to the period of 1990s-early 2000s. We conclude that the pink salmon occupies the same trophic niche in the new region of its introduction as in the native range.