Elisa Rueda-Díez

The common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is one of the most abundant small cetaceans along the Galician coast and a definitive host for the nematode parasite Anisakis, which is transmitted to cetaceans through the food chain. This study aimed to analyse which factors, including dolphin diet, affect the parasitic load. Samples of stomach contents from stranded dolphins along the Galician coast (2004–2024) were examined. The number of parasites was counted, and the contribution of different prey species to the diet was analysed based on hard remains. Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) were used to assess the relationships between parasitic load (number of Anisakis in the stomach) and various putative explanatory variables (e.g., year, month, size, sex, latitude, body condition, cause of death and diet of the dolphins). Results showed an increase in parasitic load over the years and a seasonal pattern, with numbers peaking in the first months of the year. A significant positive relationship was found between dolphin length and Anisakis load. In addition, dolphins that died from bycatch had the lowest parasitic loads. The numbers of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) in the stomach had a significant effect on parasite load: parasite abundance decreased as the numbers of these prey species in the stomach increased. This result confirms the influence of diet on Anisakis load, although it does not reveal which species contribute the most to the parasite load. The study offers insights into how diet and other ecological factors influence the parasitic load in D. delphis.