Digenean (Bucephalidae) infections in commercial scallops, Pecten fumatus Reeve, and doughboy scallops, Chlamys (Mimachlamys) asperrima (Lamarck), in Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Sympatric populations of the hermaphroditic scallop, Pecten fumatus Reeve, and of the dioecious scallop, Chlamys (Mimachlamys) asperrima (Lamarck), from Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia, were sampled between October 1991 and December 1994. Over the first 2 years, 5.1% of adult P. fumatus and 4.5% of adult C. asperrima were infected with a trematode, Bucephalus sp., that causes parasitic castration. A significant increase in the numbers of infected scallops occurred in spring 1993, reaching 63% in P. fumatus and 24% in C. asperrima in May and March 1994, respectively. The prevalence of infection increased with scallop size, reaching 66% in P. fumatus greater than 80 mm in shell height and 40% in C. asperrima greater than 75 mm in 1994. Seasonal and interannual variations in parasitism for the P. fumatus recorded over a continuous period of 5 years in Jervis Bay are discussed, as are inter-species differences and the potential impact of the parasitic castration on reproductive potential and marketability of P. fumatus and C. asperrima.