The Occurrence of Larval Anisakid Nematodes in small Gadoids from Scottish Waters

Larval anisakid nematodes are among the most abundant helminth parasites of commercially exploited marine fish in the North-East Atlantic. Consequently, the biology of Anisakis and Phocanema in commercially sized fish from the North-East Atlantic has been quite extensively studied in recent years (see for example Davey, 1972; Rae, 1972; Young, 1972; Platt, 1975). There is, however, little available information on the occurrence of larval anisakids in small fish or species not used for human consumption. This is an important gap in our knowledge since information on the infection of such fish will increase our understanding of the circulation of these parasites within the marine environment and the levels of infection in commercial species.