The effects of the ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus (Copepoda: Lernaeopodidae) on the fins of rostrum dace
نویسنده
چکیده
Rostrum dace (Leuciscus leuciscus burdigalensis) from the River Viaur were found to be infested with the ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus (Copepoda: Lernaeopodidae). Samples from five study sites along the river revealed different patterns of parasite infestation. Heavily infested fish were found at the upper study sites whereas much lower infestation levels were observed at the lower study sites. The copepods showed an aggregated dispersion pattern on host fins. The results showed significantly preferred microhabitats, with adult females being more abundant on the anal, pelvic and along the external part of the pectoral fins. The anal and pelvic fins were damaged by the parasite with a loss of their surface area. These fin alterations may reduce the fish’s swimming ability and therefore affect the rostrum dace population. Our findings highlight the need to study the effects of parasites on stream fish populations.
منابع مشابه
For Review O nly
23 The emergence of pathogens represents substantial threats to public health, livestock, 24 domesticated animals, and biodiversity. How wild populations respond to emerging pathogens 25 has generated a lot of interest in the last two decades. With the recent advent of high26 throughput sequencing technologies it is now possible to develop large transcriptomic 27 resources for non-model organis...
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Evidence of parasite-mediated disruptive selection on genetic diversity in a wild fish population.
Identifying the processes maintaining genetic variability in wild populations is a major concern in conservation and evolutionary biology. Parasite-mediated selection may strongly affect genetic variability in wild populations. The inbreeding depression theory predicts that directional selection imposed by parasites should act against the most inbred hosts, thus favouring genetic diversity in w...
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OBJECTIVE Unravelling the determinants of parasite life-history traits in natural settings is complex. Here, we deciphered the relationships between biotic, abiotic factors and the variation in 4 life-history traits (body size, egg presence, egg number and egg size) in the fish ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus. We then determined the factors affecting the strength of the trade-off between ...
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SUMMARY Narrow site specificity in parasites is assumed to be associated with fitness benefits, such as higher reproductive success, although this is never quantified. We linked the body mass and combined mass of egg sacs of female copepods, Neobrachiella spinicephala, parasitic on the sandperch, Pinguipes brasilianus, to attachment sites on the host. Adult females attach permanently either on ...
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