The parasite community infecting flounders, Platichthys flesus, in the tidal Thames

The composition of the parasite fauna of the flounder,Platichthys flesus, retrieved from two locations in the tidal Thames is described in detail for the first time. The combined parasite species list of the flounders from Lots Road in the upper tideway and West Thurrock in the middle tideway consisted of one protozoan (Glugea stephani), one monogenean (Gyrodactylussp.), four larval digeneans (Cryptocotyle concava,Timoniella imbutiforme,T. praeterita, andLabratrema minimus), five adult digeneans (Derogenes varicus,Lecithaster gibbosus,Podocotylesp.,Plagioporus varius, andZoogonoides viviparus), one larval cestode (unidentified tetraphyllidean), one or possibly more larval nematodes (unidentified) plus five adult nematodes (Capillariasp.,Cucullanus heterochrous,C. minutus,Contracaecumsp. andGoeziasp.), two acanthocephalans (Pomphorhynchus laevisandAcanthocephalus anguillae), three copepods (Lepeophtheirus pectoralis,Acanthochondriasp. andLernaeocera branchialis), and one mollusc (unidentified glochidia). The overall parasite community of flounders from Lots Road and West Thurrock were compared in terms of species richness and diversity. The parasite community in flounders from the former location in the upper tideway was found to be less diverse than that of its counterpart at West Thurrock in the middle estuary. The component community of Lots Road flounders was dominated by the acanthocephalanPomphorhynchus laevis.