PARASITES OF BLUEGILL, LEPOMIS-MACROCHIRUS, FROM 2 LAKES AND A SUMMARY OF THEIR PARASITES FROM MICHIGAN

Seventy-five bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque), collected in July 1996 from 2 small eutrophic lakes in central lower Michigan, were examined for parasites. Bluegill harbored 13 parasite taxa (5 Digenea , 1 Cestoda, 1 Acanthocephala, 3 Nematoda, 1 Copepoda, 1 Myxozoa, 1 Ci liophora). Spinitectus mi cracanthus was the most common gastrointesti nal species, whereas Posthodiplostomum sp. was the most common species outside the digestive tract. The mean parasite species richness value s +/- SD in bluegill from the 2 lakes were 3.88 +/- 1.42 and 4.80 +/- 1.21. Quantitatively, the helminth fauna of bluegill was dominated by larval helminths represented by 7 taxa. The parasites of bluegill from Michigan waters are summarized.