Erpocotyle abbreviata (Olsson, 1876) Price, 1942, a Monogenetic Trematode New to British Waters

Abstract

Erpocotyle abbreviata (Olsson, 1876) Price, 1942 (=Squalonchocotyle abbreviata, Cerfontaine, 1899), is a parasite found on the gills of Squalus acanthias L. (the spur dog). Full details of the taxonomy of the species and genus are given in Dawes^1,2 and Sproston³. The trematode was first recorded by Olsson from the Skagerrak. Cerfontaine recorded it from Roscoff, and Sproston found one specimen on each of two male spur dogs from the same locality. The latter author refers to Layman, who obtained specimens from the Pacific Coast of the U.S.S.R. Brinkmann⁴ recorded the species from Byfjord (Bergen) in Norway, where he found two infected fish out of six examined. Until recently, it has not been found in British waters, although its occurrence at Roscoff and in Norwegian waters suggests that it may not be uncommon around our shores.