| Resumo: |
The host specificity and population dynamics of <i>Anguillicola crassus</i> in a number of paratenic hosts were investigated. Various freshwater fish species were sampled monthly (March 1990 to March 1991) from the Kolenhaven (Albertcanal, Genk, Belgium) and examined for L<sub>3</sub>-larvae of <i>Anguillicola crassus</i>. Sixteen species were found to be infected: all the physoclist species examined (<i>Gymnocephalus cernua, Lepomis gibbosus, Ictalurus nebulosus, Stizostedion lucioperca, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Oreochromis niloticus</i> and <i>Perca fluviatilis</i>) and those physostome species of which a sufficient number could be examined to detect the infection (<i>Gobio gobio, Leuciscus cephalus, Chondrostoma nasus, Leuciscus leuciscus, Alburnus alburnus, Leuciscus idus, Scardinius erytrophthalmus, Rutilus rutilus</i> and <i>Tinca tinca</i>). There were large differences in prevalence among the fish species examined but generally the prevalence was higher in physoclist fishes and was highest in <i>G. cernua</i> (96%). In 4 species there was a significant positive correlation between the fish length and parasite abundance. The percentage of grown larvae varied among fish species, being lowest in <i>G. cernua</i> and highest in <i>P. fluviatilis</i>. No clear seasonal incidence cycle was observed.
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