Trematode communities in cockles (Cerastoderma edule) of the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal): influence of inorganic contamination

Abstract

This work aims to assess the trematode parasites infecting the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule, collected in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon, one of the most relevant biodiversity hotspots of the Western Iberia, and evaluate the relationship between the observed patterns and environmental descriptors. A total of 11 of the 16 trematode species known to infect C. edule were identified, including Himasthla continua and Psilostomum brevicolle as new occurrences in this lagoon. Parvatrema minutum was the most abundant and dominant species. Species richness and prevalence were high. The relationship between trematode species abundance, intensity and prevalence, and also environmental variables, showed that most parasites preferred muddy sand areas with euhaline conditions in opposition to areas with contamination and/or distant from the lagoon entrance. This study highlighted the good ecological status of the ecosystem and the transitional biogeographic characteristics of the western Portuguese coast where northern and subtropical faunas can coexist.

Keywords: Cerastoderma edule; Contaminants; Ecological assessment; Parasitism; Trematodes; Western Iberia.