Biochemical Characterization of Third-Stage Larval Sealworm, Pseudoterranova decipiens (Nematoda: Anisakidae), in Canadian Atlantic Waters using Isoelectric Focusing of Soluble Proteins

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) was performed on soluble protein extracts from whole specimens of third-stage larval sealworm (Pseudoterranova decipiens) recovered from the musculature of three fish intermediate host species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), sea raven (Hemitripterus americanus), and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). The fish were collected at various sites in the Canadian Atlantic, and IEF revealed the occurrence of two "variants" within what has previously been considered a single, uniform species of P. decipiens in these waters. The larvae were characterized by the absence ("type I" L3's) or presence ("type II" L3's) of a sharp, dark-staining protein band with a mean pl of 6.46 pH units. Type I larvae were predominant at two sites sampled in the lower Bay of Fundy, while type II larvae were predominant at three sites sampled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence region.