Taxonomic structure of Digenea in wild ducks (Anatinae) from West Pomerania

Parasitic fauna of birds connected with water environment, including digeneans, is relatively well researched in Poland. The exception, however, is West Pomerania, where those birds were not frequent objects of parasitological research until recently. The purpose of this work is to determine the taxonomic structure of the Digenea, parasitising wild ducks living in West Pomerania. The research material was 124 individuals of wild Anatinae (Anseriformes) belonging to 8 species: Anas strepera, A. crecca, A. platyrhynchos, Aythya marila, A. fuligula, Melanitta nigra, M. fusca and Mergus merganser. The ducks were obtained in the years 2001-2006 from small ponds near Szczecin, Lake Dabie, the Szczecin Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. The research showed the presence of 29 species of digeneans from 11 families: Paracoenogonimus ovatus Katsurada, 1914; Diplostomum mergi Dubois, 1932; D. parviventosum Dubois, 1932; D. phoxini (Faust, 1918); D. pusillum (Dubois, 1928); Ornithodiplostomum scardinii (Shulman in Dubinin, 1952); Echinochasmus spinulosus (Rudolphi, 1808); Echinoparyphium cinctum (Rudolphi, 1802); E. recurvatum (Linstow, 1873); Echinostoma miyagawai Ischii, 1932; E. revolutum (Fröhlich, 1802); Hypoderaeum conoideum (Bloch, 1782); Stephanoprora pseudoechinata (Olsson, 1876); Cryptocotyle concava (Creplin, 1825); C. lingua (Creplin, 1825); Leucochloridiomorpha lutea (von Baer, 1826); Catatropis verrucosa (Fröhlich, 1789); Notocotylus attenuatus (Rudolphi, 1809); Paramonostomum alveatum (Mehlis, 1846); Metorchis xanthostomus (Creplin, 1846); Prosthogonimus ovatus (Rudolphi, 1803); P. rarus Braun, 1901; Psilochasmus oxyurus (Creplin, 1825); Psilostomum brevicolle (Creplin, 1829); Psilotrema simillimum (Mühling, 1898); Bilharziella polonica (Kowalewski, 1895); Apatemon gracilis (Rudolphi, 1819); Australapatemon minor (Yamaguti, 1933); Cotylurus cornutus (Rudolphi, 1808).