Do brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) from insular Newfoundland have different parasites than their mainland counterparts?

Abstract

Based on the published literature, comparison of the metazoan parasite faunas of brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis) from freshwater localities in northeastern North America reveals that hosts in insular Newfoundland have fewer parasite species recorded from them. Of 45 parasite species or taxa, only 20 are common to the island and the mainland. Twenty-three parasite species have been reported from the mainland but not from the island, with most of the taxa being types common to non-salmonid fishes. Two species, the copepod Ergasilus luciopercarum and the digenean Tetracotyle, have been reported from charr on the island but not from the northeastern mainland. It is suggested that the primary reason for the difference in the structure of the assemblages is the lack of contact brook charr in Newfoundland have with percid, cyprinid, centrarchid, esocid, and catostomid fishes and their parasites.