OBSERVATIONS ON THE HELMINTHS OF HARBOR PORPOISES (PHOCOENA-PHOCOENA)AND COMMON GUILLEMOTS (URIA AALGE) FROM THE BELGIAN AND GERMAN COASTS

Between February 1990 and July 1991, 15 harbour porpoises (Phocoena ph ocoena) and 248 common guillemots (Uria aalge) found dead along the Be lgian and German coasts, were examined for their burden of helminths. A total of three species were found in the guillemots (one cestode, on e nematode and one pentastomid), and six species in the porpoises (one trematode, one cestode and four nematodes). Among the guillemots the burden of helminths was not statistically different between juvenile a nd adult birds. The deaths of the birds were apparently not related to the parasite infections. In contrast, the adult porpoises were more h eavily parasitised than the juveniles, except for one young porpoise s tranded on the Belgian coast. In the porpoises, four species of parasi tes had a pathological effect and Torynurus convolutus was responsible for the death of one animal from the Belgian coast and three from the German coast.