Abundance/host size relationship in a fish trematode community

1992 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Saad-Fares ◽  
C. Combes
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Size Class ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Trematode Species ◽  
High Threshold ◽  
East Mediterranean ◽  
Host Growth ◽  
Single Host

ABSTRACTThe abundance of six species of trematodes: Aphanurus stossichi, Bacciger israelensis, Diphterostomum israelense, Plagioporus idoneus, Lepocreadium album and L. pegorchis, parasitic in the digestive tract of marine teleostei (Sparidae) collected near Jounieh (east Mediterranean), was analysed as a function of the host-size. In two parasite/host systems, infections were observed from the lowest size classes of the sample, with a clear tendency to an increase of abundance in older fish. In four others, parasites appear only above a rather high threshold class, young individuals never being infected. In the last three parasite/host systems, host invasion may occur early or late, but infection decreases above a well defined size class, old fishes rarely or never being infected. A given trematode species. when parasitizing several host species, shows similar abundance/host size relationships, e.g. P. idoneus in Diplodus vulgaris and Oblada melanura. When more than one species of trematode infects a single host species, curves can be markedly distinct; for instance, L. pegorchis was collected from Pagellus erythrinus below 15 cm. whereas D. israelense parasitized the same fish approximately above the same size. There is no evidence that such a replacement of one trematode by another in the course of host growth is a result of interspecific competition.

Helminth communities in amphibians from Latvia, with an emphasis on their connection to host ecology

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Čeirāns ◽  
E. Gravele ◽  
I. Gavarane ◽  
M. Pupins ◽  
L. Mezaraupe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Bufo Bufo ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Trematode Species ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Food Object ◽  
Linear Discriminant

Abstract Helminth infracommunities were studied at 174 sites of Latvia in seven hosts from six amphibian taxa of different taxonomical, ontogenic and ecological groups. They were described using a standard set of parasitological parameters, compared by ecological indices and linear discriminant analysis. Their species associations were identified by Kendall's rank correlation, but relationships with host size and waterbody area were analysed by zero-inflated Poisson and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions. The richest communities (25 species) were found in post-metamorphic semi-aquatic Pelophylax spp. frogs, which were dominated by trematode species of both adult and larval stages. Both larval and terrestrial hosts yielded depauperate trematode communities with accession of aquatic and soil-transmitted nematode species, respectively. Nematode loads peaked in terrestrial Bufo bufo. Helminth infracommunities suggested some differences in host microhabitat or food object selection not detected by their ecology studies. Associations were present in 96% of helminth species (on average, 7.3 associations per species) and dominated positive ones. Species richness and abundances, in most cases, were positively correlated with host size, which could be explained by increasing parasite intake rates over host ontogeny (trematode adult stages) or parasite accumulation (larval Alaria alata). Two larval diplostomid species (Strigea strigis, Tylodelphys excavata) had a negative relationship with host size, which could be caused by parasite-induced host mortality. The adult trematode abundances were higher in larger waterbodies, most likely due to their ecosystem richness, while higher larval abundances in smaller waterbodies could be caused by elevated infection rates under high host densities.

scholarly journals Do parasites adopt different strategies in different intermediate hosts? Host size, not host species, influences Coitocaecum parvum (Trematoda) life history strategy, size and egg production

Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. RUIZ DANIELS ◽  
S. BELTRAN ◽  
R. POULIN ◽  
C. LAGRUE
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Life Strategy ◽  
Amphipod Species ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Resource Limitations ◽  
Coitocaecum Parvum

SUMMARYHost exploitation induces host defence responses and competition between parasites, resulting in individual parasites facing highly variable environments. Alternative life strategies may thus be expressed in context-dependent ways, depending on which host species is used and intra-host competition between parasites. Coitocaecum parvum (Trematode) can use facultative progenesis in amphipod intermediate hosts, Paracalliope fluviatilis, to abbreviate its life cycle in response to such environmental factors. Coitocaecum parvum also uses another amphipod host, Paracorophium excavatum, a species widely different in size and ecology from P. fluviatilis. In this study, parasite infection levels and strategies in the two amphipod species were compared to determine whether the adoption of progenesis by C. parvum varied between these two hosts. Potential differences in size and/or egg production between C. parvum individuals according to amphipod host species were also investigated. Results show that C. parvum life strategy was not influenced by host species. In contrast, host size significantly affected C. parvum strategy, size and egg production. Since intra-host interactions between co-infecting parasites also influenced C. parvum strategy, size and fecundity, it is highly likely that within-host resource limitations affect C. parvum life strategy and overall fitness regardless of host species.

Genetic variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 within Progamotaenia festiva (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) from macropodid marsupials

Parasitology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 134 (10) ◽  
pp. 1465-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. BEVERIDGE ◽  
S. SHAMSI ◽  
M. HU ◽  
N. B. CHILTON ◽  
R. B. GASSER
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Enzyme Electrophoresis ◽  
Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism ◽  
Oxidase Subunit ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Distinct Sequence ◽  
Sequence Types

SUMMARYGenetic variation was examined in the anoplocephalid cestode Progamotaenia festiva, from Australian marsupials, in order to test the hypothesis that P. festiva, is a complex of sibling species and to assess the extent of host switching reported previously based on multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) was used for the analysis of sequence variation in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene among 179 specimens of P. festiva (identified based on morphology and predilection site in the host) from 13 different host species, followed by selective DNA sequencing. Fifty-three distinct sequence types (haplotypes) representing all specimens were defined. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequence data (utilizing maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods) revealed 12 distinct clades. Other heterologous species, P. ewersi and P. macropodis, were used as outgroups and the remaining bile-duct inhabiting species, P. diaphana and P. effigia, were included in the analysis for comparative purposes. The latter 2 species were nested within the clades representing P. festiva. Most clades of P. festiva identified were restricted to a single host species; one clade primarily in Macropus robustus was also found in the related host species M. antilopinus in an area of host sympatry; another clade occurring primarily in M. robustus occurred also in additional kangaroo species, M. rufus and M. dorsalis. High levels of genetic divergence, the existence of distinct clades and their occurrence in sympatry provide support for the hypothesis that P. festiva represents a complex of numerous species, most of which, but not all, are host specific. Three distinct clades of cestodes were found within a single host, M. robustus, but there was no evidence of within-host speciation.

The occurrence of species flocks in the nematode genus Cloacina (Strongyloidea : Cloacininae), parasitic in the stomachs of kangaroos and wallabies

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 597 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Beveridge ◽  
N. B. Chilton ◽  
D. M. Spratt
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Species Flock ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Nematode Genus ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Species Flocks ◽  
Occurrence Of Species

The occurrence of species flocks within the nematode genus Cloacina was examined using the criteria of host specificity, co-occurrence and monophyly. Species of Cloacina generally exhibited a high degree of host specificity, with most species occurring either in a single host species or in two closely related host species. The frequency distribution of numbers of component species of Cloacina per host species indicated that most host species harboured 2–4 species of nematodes, with an approximately exponential decline in the number of species of parasites to a maximum of 20 species of nematode per host species. Host species harbouring eight or more species of Cloacina were found within a single recent macropodid clade, but there was no correlation between evolutionary age of the host and the number of parasite species harboured. Sampling effort was significantly correlated with the number of nematode species found and, in partial regression analysis, subsumed the effects of host body size and geographic range, which were found to be significant correlates with the number of nematode species present in preliminary analyses. Analysis of co-occurrences of nematode species indicated significant variation between host species, with some hosts (e.g. Macropus agilis) most commonly harbouring a single species of Cloacina, while closely related host species (e.g. M. dorsalis) most commonly harboured numerous species. Parsimony analysis of species of Cloacina based on morphological data suggested that while small series of related nematode species could be identified within a single host species, the species flock in each host species is polyphyletic in origin. Species flocks contributed significantly to community richness in some host species.

Eight New Species of Sucking Lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera) From Endemic Murine Rodents in Australia and an Updated Identification Key

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Lance A Durden ◽  
Haylee Weaver ◽  
Renfu Shao
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Dichotomous Key ◽  
Sucking Lice ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Murine Rodents ◽  
Louse Species ◽  
Comprehensive Study

Abstract Based on a comprehensive study of museum specimens, eight new species of sucking lice of the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), are described from six genera of Australian Old Endemic rodents: Conilurus Ogilby, 1838 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leggadina Thomas, 1910 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leporillus Thomas, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Mesembriomys Palmer, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Pogonomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Muridae), and Xeromys Thomas, 1889 (Rodentia: Muridae). The description of these new species increases the number of sucking louse species from endemic Australian rodents from 13 to 21 and extends the records of sucking lice to all of the 14 genera of endemic rodents in Australia. Our results show that sucking lice are much more diverse among rodents in Australia than previously known. Furthermore, the Australian Hoplopleura species are host specific—each Hoplopleura species, including the eight new species described in the present study, parasitizes only a single host species, except Hoplopleura irritans Kuhn and Ludwig, 1967 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) and Hoplopleura melomydis Weaver, 2017 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), each of which is found on two host species. An updated dichotomous key for identifying Australian Hoplopleura species is included.

Host species of mistletoes (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Nicole F. Clark ◽  
Jen A. McComb ◽  
Andrew W. Taylor-Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
New Host ◽  
Host Family ◽  
Single Host ◽  
New Hosts ◽  
Host Families ◽  
New Host Species

In order to study the relationships between mistletoes and their host species, comprehensive collections of both mistletoes and hosts are needed. The effect of sampling effort on the estimation of mistletoe host range was demonstrated in a comparison of an inventory of host mistletoe interactions published by Downey in 1998 and a 2019 inventory presented here, which is based on data from collections in the Australian Virtual Herbarium and information in the literature. New hosts were recorded for 93% of the 90 Australian mistletoes. There were 338 previously known hosts recorded to be parasitised by additional mistletoe species, and 317 new host species that were not previously known as mistletoe hosts (25 being alien species). These were from 78 new host genera and 13 new host families. The total number of host species was 1186 within 327 genera from 92 host families. A total of 63% of all Australian mistletoes parasitise species of either Eucalyptus or Acacia or both these genera. The large rise in host species recorded in less than two decades between inventories suggests that current knowledge of hosts is still incomplete, such that further new hosts will be discovered in future. Some mistletoe species show a strong preference to one host family or genus but due to insufficient collecting it is premature to conclude that any of the three species known from a single host are host specific.

scholarly journals Community disassembly and disease: realistic—but not randomized—biodiversity losses enhance parasite transmission

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1902) ◽  
pp. 20190260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter T. J. Johnson ◽  
Dana M. Calhoun ◽  
Tawni Riepe ◽  
Travis McDevitt-Galles ◽  
Janet Koprivnikar
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Trematode Species ◽  
Parasite Transmission ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Larval Amphibians ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Debates over the relationship between biodiversity and disease dynamics underscore the need for a more mechanistic understanding of how changes in host community composition influence parasite transmission. Focusing on interactions between larval amphibians and trematode parasites, we experimentally contrasted the effects of host richness and species composition to identify the individual and joint contributions of both parameters on the infection levels of three trematode species. By combining experimental approaches with field surveys from 147 ponds, we further evaluated how richness effects differed between randomized and realistic patterns of species loss (i.e. community disassembly). Our results indicated that community-level changes in infection levels were owing to host species composition, rather than richness. However, when composition patterns mirrored empirical observations along a natural assembly gradient, each added host species reduced infection success by 12–55%. No such effects occurred when assemblages were randomized. Mechanistically, these patterns were due to non-random host species assembly/disassembly: while highly competent species predominated in low diversity systems, less susceptible hosts became progressively more common as richness increased. These findings highlight the potential for combining information on host traits and assembly patterns to forecast diversity-mediated changes in multi-host disease systems.

The soft scale (Coccidae) associates of Malaysian ant-plants

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Peter Heckroth ◽  
Brigitte Fiala ◽  
Penny J. Gullan ◽  
Azarae HJ. Idris ◽  
Ulrich Maschwitz
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Scale Insects ◽  
Soft Scale ◽  
Genus Level ◽  
The Family ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Taxonomic Research ◽  
Host Plant Specificity

Myrmecophytic species of the Paleotropical plant genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) have hollow stems that are almost always occupied by ants of the genus Crematogaster and scale insects of the family Coccidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea). The coccids have a cryptic endophytic lifestyle and are confined to this microhabitat. They are much more diverse than previously recognised. First data are presented on the diversity, prevalence, specificity and distribution of the coccids associated with myrmecophytic Macaranga species. Twenty-two species of Coccidae in total, including 15 previously unknown from Macaranga, were discovered from 19 species of Macaranga in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. The original describers tentatively assigned the known coccid species to Coccus (Coccinae) but the Macaranga coccids still require taxonomic research to establish their correct placing. The coccids varied in their host-plant specificity from species that occurred in most of the sampled Macaranga to one species that was found almost exclusively only on a single host species. In addition to their occurrence on Macaranga, only three species, C. macarangae and C. secretus and morphospecies C. 214 were found on rare occasions in the stem interior of a few other myrmecophytes and in a non-myrmecophytic liana, but did not regularly colonise these plants. Most of the coccids can be regarded as highly specific at the plant genus level.

Hemiparasite – host plant interactions and the impact of herbivory: a field experiment

Botany ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 537-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mickayla D. Van Hoveln ◽  
Bethany A. Evans ◽  
Victoria A. Borowicz
Keyword(s):  
Host Size ◽  
Schizachyrium Scoparium ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Compensatory Response ◽  
Host Growth ◽  
Subsequent Flowering ◽  
Shoot Mass ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Late ◽  
Pedicularis Canadensis

Schizachyrium scoparium Michx. (Nash) growing naturally with varying numbers of the perennial hemiparasite Pedicularis canadensis L. were randomly assigned to one of four clipping treatments (none, early, late, early and late) to determine how parasitism and herbivory affect the grass and whether herbivory of the host indirectly affects hemiparasite growth. Any clipping eliminated subsequent flowering by S. scoparium in year 1 and reduced the number of plants that flowered in year 2, when no clipping occurred. Only hosts clipped early exhibited depressed growth after one summer. The following year plants that had been clipped twice the previous year produced the least shoot mass, and plants that were never clipped produced the most. Hemiparasite load was negatively associated with host shoot mass, especially in year 1, but did not alter the host’s compensatory response to clipping. The effects of host size and host clipping on the nearest hemiparasite were determined in year 1. Pedicularis canadensis shoot mass declined with host size if the host was clipped late, but increased with host size when clipping occurred once early in the season. Although the impact of hemiparasites and clipping on host growth are independent, clipping can alter the value of the host for parasites.

Helminth parasite communities of kangaroos and wallabies (Macropus spp. and Wallabia bicolor) from north and central Queensland

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 473 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Beveridge ◽  
N. B. Chilton ◽  
P. M. Johnson ◽  
L. R. Smales ◽  
R. Speare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Helminth Species ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Gastrointestinal Helminth ◽  
Helminth Communities ◽  
Digenetic Trematodes ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Wallabia Bicolor ◽  
High Level

The occurrence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in 40 Macropus agilis, 12 M. antilopinus, 39 M. dorsalis, 28 M. giganteus, 29 M. parryi, 30 M. robustus and 26 Wallabia bicolor from north and central Queensland was examined. A total of 124 morphologically defined species of helminth was encountered, comprising 103 species of strongyloid nematodes, 6 species of trichostrongyloid nematodes, 2 species of spiruroid nematodes, 4 species of oxyuroid nematodes, 7 species of anoplocephalid cestodes and 2 species of digenetic trematodes. Helminth communities in each macropodid host species exhibited a high level of diversity, and were dominated numerically by strongyloid nematodes. A high proportion of the helminth species was restricted to a single host species and there was a low level of similarity between helminth communities in different host species. Similarities that did occur were not apparently related to the phylogenetic relationships between hosts and are best explained by host switching between hosts sharing overlapping habitats and feeding preferences. There was poor separation of the helminth species into ‘core’, ‘secondary’ and ‘satellite’ members of communities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document