More Host Records for Acanthocephalan Parasites from Arkansas Fishes (Aphredoderidae, Catostomidae, Centrarchidae, Cyprinidae, Esocidae, Percidae)

Abstract

Over the last few years, our research consortium has provided a good deal of novel information on the acanthocephalans of Arkansas fishes (McAllister et al. 2014a, b, 2015, 2016a, b, 2018a, b). Here, we continue to document new host records for acanthocephalans from select fishes of the state. During November 2017 and between March and October 2018, we collected fishes with a backpack electroshocker (DC current) and/or boat electrofisher from 9 sites on their river drainages/basin and 8 counties (Fig. 1). They were placed in aerated habitat water and necropsied within 24 hr. Fish were overdosed with a concentrated solution of tricaine methanesulfonate and measured for total length (TL). A mid–ventral incision from their anus and, anterior to the level of the stomach, was made to expose the gastrointestinal tract and other internal viscera (including gallbladder, gonads, and liver) which was removed and placed in a Petri dish containing 0.9% w/v saline. A stereomicroscope was