Pontoporia blainvillei

Bolbosoma sp. Bolbosoma turbinella Corynosoma australe Corynosoma sp. Polymorphus (Polymorphus) cetaceum Synthesium pontoporiae In Brazil, helminths belonging to four groups and nine families have been recorded from six families of Cetacea (Table 1). Only Anisakidae (Nematoda, Ascaridoidea) have been reported for all host families. In contrast, nematodes of the family Pseudalidae (Metastrongyloidea), three families of Digenea (Brauninidae, Notocotylidae, Opisthorchiidae), and one family of Cestoda (Phyllobothriidae) were reported in only one host family (Table 1). The helminth species with the highest number of records was Bolbosoma turbinella (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae), totaling 57 records. The larval stage of the cestode Phyllobothrium delphini (Tetraphyllidea, Phyllobothriidae) was recorded only one time in cetaceans from Brazil (Ott & Danilewicz 1996). Digenea Cestoda Nematoda Acanthocephala Braun Brach Notoc Opist Phyll Anis Tetr Pseud Polym Balaenopteridae + + + + + Delphinidae + + + + + + + Iniidae + Phocoenidae + Physeteridae + + Pontoporidae + + + Anis = Anisakidae; Braun = Brauninidae; Brach = Brachycladiidae; Notoc = Notocotylidae; Opist = Opisthorchidae; Phyll = Phyllobothriidae; Polym = Polymorphidae; Pseud = Pseudalidae; Tetr = Tetrameridae.