Helminths of Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae) from the south and southeastern coasts of Brazil.

Abstract

From May 1997 to October 2000, 49 Sotalia guianensis (tucuxi dolphin) incidentally caught in fishing nets or stranded in São Paulo (SP) and Paraná (PR) states in Brazil were necropsied. In total, 17 lungs, 35 stomachs, and 30 intestines were analyzed. Contents were washed through a sieve (mesh, 150 mm) and examined under a stereoscopic microscope for parasites. Histopathologic analyses were performed in the lungs of five infected dolphins. The nematode Halocercus brasiliensis was found in 88% of all lungs examined, inducing moderate-to-severe pneumonia. Braunina cordiformis, Anisakis sp., and acanthocephalans were found in the stomachs. The trematode Synthesium tursionis was the only parasite found in the intestines, and it was identified in 73% of the animals necropsied. No macroscopic lesions were seen due to parasites in the stomachs and intestines analyzed.