Meeting Abstract
P3.110 Monday, Jan. 6 15:30 Crassicauda infections in kogiid whales BATEMAN, T.F.K.*; MCLELLAN, W.; PISCITELLI, M.; HARMS, C.; BARCO, S.; THAYER, V; CLARK, K; POTTER, C; PABST, D.; UNC Wilmington; UNC Wilmington; Univ. Bristish Columbia; NC State Univ.; VA Aquarium; NC Div. Marine Fisheries; Wildlife Resources Comm.; Smithsonian Institution; UNC Wilmington tfk9187@uncw.edu
Nemathelminthes of the genus Crassicauda are known to infect a variety of cetacean species. In delphinids and mysticete whales, Crassicauda infects the urogenital system and cranial pterygoid sinuses, and contributes to morbidity and mortality. Crassicauda was first described in kogiid whales by Johnson and Mawson (1939) and later by Dollfus (1966) as infecting the neck musculature, an uncommon habitat for this parasite. Despite their known pathogenic effects on other cetaceans, no systematic review has been conducted on Crassicauda in either the pygmy (Kogia breviceps) or dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales. We conducted a retrospective investigation of stranded kogiids to determine the prevalence of Crassicauda in both species, and to describe its location within its host. Individual kogiid stranding records for North Carolina and Virginia from 1998-2013 were examined (n=125). Of those, 64 K. breviceps and 40 K. sima records contained sufficient data to assess Crassicauda prevalence. Our results reveal that Crassicauda only infects K. breviceps (prevalence of 42%). This species-specific infection pattern may serve to elucidate ecological differences between the closely related kogiids. Crassicauda was found exclusively in the cervico-thoracic region, in vascular beds that feed the central nervous system, and throughout thoracic organs. There was also a marked association with the “gill slit” gland, an exocrine gland in the ventral neck. The distribution of Crassicauda suggests that it may contribute to morbidity and mortality in the pygmy sperm whale, and that more thorough gross and histological investigations are warranted.
