First record of the parasitic copepod (Mytilicola orientalis Mori, 1935)in blue mussels (Mytilus spp.) of the Baltic Sea
2019
The parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis infesting mussels and oysters was so far
only described in saline waters – such as the North Sea. In April 2018, it was
recorded for the first time at a low salinity location in the Kiel Bight, Baltic Sea.
Two mature females of M. orientalis were found in two separate individuals of
Baltic blue mussels (Mytilus spp.). Prevalence of parasites in the whole sample was
low (3.6%), and no males or eggs were detected. In a second sample from October
2018, another adult female was found indicating spread over larger areas and
longer time periods. The findings of this study further indicated that larvae from
introduced M. orientalis adults can hatch under low saline conditions of Kiel Fjord
and are able to infest and to develop within tissues of Baltic blue mussels. It
therefore may just be a matter of time before the establishment of the full life cycle
of M. orientalis in the Baltic Sea.
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