Host Specificity of the Parasitic Copepod Salmincola markewitschi in an Aquarium

Abstract

Host specificity of the parasitic copepod Salmincola markewitschi was examined in the Sapporo Salmon Museum in Hokkaido, Japan. Of the ten salmonid species we examined, seven were infected with S. markewitschi. Particularly, three species（white-spotted charr, Salvelinus leucomaenis leucomaenis; Nikko charr, Salvelinus leucomaenis pluvius; brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis）had high infection levels with prevalence of 30.3–56.7%, suggesting that this copepod species utilizes Salvelinus spp. as primary hosts.