Parasites of Italian sea turtles. II. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta [Linnaeus, 1758]).

Eleven out of fourteen sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along the coast of the Adriatic sea (Mediterranean sea) were found infected with helminths. Seven trematode species (Rhytidodes gelatinosus, Orchidasma amphiorchis, Enodiotrema megachondrus. Pachypsolus irroratus, Pleurogonius trigonocephalus, Calicodes anthos, Plesiochorus cymbiformis) and one nematode (Sulcascaris sulcata) were found. S. sulcata was the most frequent species in the stomach and R. gelatinosus in the intestine. These species were also the most abundant. The redescriptions of C. anthos (Braun, 1899) and P. trigonocephalus (Rudolphi, 1809) Looss, 1901 are included. The accuracy of Braun's original description is questioned because it refers to specimens studied in dorsal view.