Figure 1.

Nematode species identified in dolphins (15 Stenella coeruleoalba and 10 Tursiops truncatus), stranded along the Tuscan coastline (central Italy) of the “Pelagos Sanctuary” in the period between February 2013 and July 2015. (A) Halocercus lagenorhynchi adult male, measuring about 7 cm in length and 0.38 mm in width, found in the bronchi of a striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba). Caudal end showing the spicules of about 0.65 mm in length and a copulatory bursa indistinguishable from the cuticle, scale bar 250 µm; (B) Halocercus delphini adult male measuring about 8 cm in length and 0.46 mm in width, found in the bronchi of a striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba). Caudal end showing the spicules of about 0.73 mm in length, scale bar 250 µm; (C) Skrjabinalius guevarai adult male, measuring 6 cm in length and 0.5 mm in width, found in the bronchi of a bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus): caudal end showing the spicules (length 0.77–0.80 mm), scale bar 250 µm; (D1–D3) Stenurus ovatus specimens found in the bronchi of a bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus). (D1) Caudal end of and adult male with a caudal bursa showing two lateral rays (about 0.0465 mm in length and 0.020 mm wide) and a dorsal ray 0.053 mm long and 0.017 mm wide, (scale bar 250 µm); (D2) Caudal end of adult female showing two vulvar lips, one anterior long 0.035 mm and one posterior of about 0.037 mm in length, (scale bar 250 µm). (D3) First stage larva of 0.26 mm in length (arrow, scale bar 250 µm).