Serial Passage of Larval Pseudoterranova decipiens (Nematoda:Ascaridoidea) in Fish

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Abstract
In one experiment, 24 brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in fresh water at 11 ± 1 °C were each orally infected by intubation with two third-stage larvae of "sealworm" (Pseudoterranova decipiens) harvested from the flesh of sea raven (Hemitripterus americanus) and small Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). In a second experiment, 27 cod in sea water at 0 °C were each force fed, under anaesthesia, four P. decipiens larvae held in a capelin "purse"; these larvae were harvested from large, commercial size cod. Sequential reinvasion by the same P. decipiens larvae was achieved in both of the serial passage experiments. In brook trout, larvae sequentially reinvaded a maximum of two fish, with larvae of cod origin being the more successful at first passage (62.5%) than those of sea raven origin (31.3 and 37.5%). In cod, larvae also achieved sequential reinvasion of a maximum of two fish; the relatively lower success rates of 22.2% (first passage) and 9.1% (second passage) probably reflect the low temperature (0 °C) at which the experiment was conducted.
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