scholarly journals Halfway up the trophic chain: development of parasite communities in the sparid fish Boops boops

Parasitology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. PÉREZ-DEL OLMO ◽  
M. FERNÁNDEZ ◽  
J. A. RAGA ◽  
A. KOSTADINOVA ◽  
R. POULIN
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Trophic Chain ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Sparid Fish ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Boops Boops

SUMMARYWe examined the patterns of composition and structure of parasite communities in the Mediterranean sparid fish Boops boops along a gradient of fish sizes, using a large sample from a single population. We tested the hypothesis that species forming the core of the bogue parasite fauna (i.e. species which have a wide geographical range and are responsible for recognizable community structure) appear early in the fish ontogeny. The sequential community development observed supported the prediction that core species appear in the fish population earlier than rare and stochastic species. There was also a strong correlation between the order of ‘arrival’ of the species and their overall prevalence. Six key species were responsible for recognizable community structure across size/age cohorts; the addition to this baseline community of key parasite species resulted in a nested structure that is linked to differential species abundance rather than fish size. Information on the life-cycles, distribution and host range of the parasites is used to explain the observed patterns of parasite community structure. We conclude that the small mouth size of B. boops coupled with suction feeding may provide a setting for passive sampling as a mechanism leading to non-random parasite community structure.

scholarly journals Parasite communities in two sparid fishes from the western Mediterranean: a comparative analysis based on samples from three localities off the Algerian coast

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Benhamou ◽  
D. Marzoug ◽  
Z. Boutiba ◽  
A. Kostadinova ◽  
A. Pérez-Del-Olmo
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Algerian Coast ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Boops Boops ◽  
Abundant Data ◽  
General Prediction

Summary We provide the first known comparative assessment of metazoan parasite communities in two taxonomically and ecologically related sparids, Boops boops and Spicara maena, that are common in the coastal infralittoral habitats in the Mediterranean. Using abundant data for infracommunities in three localities off the Algerian coasts of the Mediterranean, we tested the general prediction that the phylogenetic proximity of the two hosts, their overlapping geographical distribution and habitat occupation, as well as the similar feeding habits and diet would contribute to a homogenization of their parasite community composition and structure. The regional fauna of parasites of B. boops and S. maena along the Algerian coasts of the western Mediterranean was species-rich (36 species) and dominated by heteroxenous species (27 spp; of these 20 digenean spp.). The phylogenetic relatedness between the two hosts resulted in a large number of shared parasites (56 %, 20 spp.). However, the significant overlap in the parasite faunas of the two sparid hosts and their similar feeding habits and diet did not translate into homogeneous parasite community pattern; a significant differentiation in terms of both, composition and structure, was observed.

Helminth communities of fish as ecological indicators of lake health

Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
HUMAIRA BASHIR SHAH ◽  
A. R. YOUSUF ◽  
M. Z. CHISHTI ◽  
FAYAZ AHMAD
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Trophic Status ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Component Level ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Community Data ◽  
Trophic Gradients

SUMMARYThis paper deals largely with the dynamics and changes in the helminth parasite communities of fish along the trophic gradient of lakes. The use of parasitological community data as a bioindicator of environmental health underlines the need to study parasite communities at comparable localities with known pollution levels. The comparison of the conditions in different habitats might be helpful to differentiate between normal fluctuations in ambient conditions and pollution-mediated effects. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the community structure of parasites in snow trout (Schizothorax niger Heckel) inhabiting 3 lakes of contrasting trophic status in Kashmir. The idea of selecting the lakes, namely Anchar (strongly hypereutrophic), Dal (eutrophic) and Manasbal (mesotrophic) for this study was intentional as they depict different trophic gradients and exhibit the desirable pattern which was a prerequisite for this study. The findings presented in this article suggest an apparent lake-wise gradient in community structure, as the increase in trematode and cestode infections in Anchar was markedly greater, to levels clearly distinguishable from those in the other two water bodies. We conclude that human-induced eutrophication of lakes modifies the parasite community at component level and community-level studies on parasites may provide information on health status of lakes.

Helminth communities of yellow perch (Perca flavescens (Mitchill)): determinants of pattern

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Carney ◽  
T A Dick
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Trophic Status ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Green Bay ◽  
Parasite Communities

Twenty-eight parasite species were recorded from 504 yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected from Dauphin Lake and Beaufort Lake, Manitoba, and Lake Winnebago, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan, Wisconsin. Four parasite species, Diplostomum spp., Urocleidus adspectus, Proteocephalus pearsei, and Raphidascaris acus, occurred in perch from all localities. Infracommunities and component communities were low in richness. The Dauphin Lake and Beaufort Lake samples had the richest parasite communities, while those in the Green Bay and Lake Michigan samples were the least rich. The effect of host size and age on parasite community structure was equivocal. A positive association between P. pearsei and Bothriocephalus cuspidatus and more multispecies infracommunities than expected provide evidence of nonrandom associations in the Manitoba samples, while the Wisconsin infracommunities were random associations. Significant infracommunity nestedness in all samples indicated nonrandom community organization and structure. Parasite faunas were richer in samples with complex invertebrate communities than in samples with complex fish communities. The trophic status of the aquatic system indirectly affected the parasite communities by limiting the variety of potential intermediate hosts. Predictions regarding relationships between parasite community structure and lake trophic status were not supported. We show that predictable patterns at the fine-scale local level of the parasite infracommunity and component communities of perch are best explained by a rich invertebrate community upon which the host feeds.

Comparison of the parasite community of two notothens, Notothenia rossii and N. coriiceps (Pisces: Nototheniidae), from King George Island, Antarctica

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 732-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Muñoz ◽  
M. Rebolledo
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
King George Island ◽  
Field Campaign ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Fish Samples ◽  
Notothenia Coriiceps ◽  
Notothenia Rossii

AbstractIn this study, we analysed and compared the whole parasite community from the fish Notothenia rossii and Notothenia coriiceps collected from Fildes Bay at King George Island, Antarctica, during January–February 2017 in a field campaign supported by the Chilean Antarctic Institute. The fish samples collected were 45 specimens of N. rossii and 22 of N. coriiceps, with total lengths averaging 29.7 ± 5.3 cm and 32.5 ± 3.2 cm, respectively. Fish were dissected to collect their internal and external parasites. All the fish were parasitized; 13 taxa were found in N. rossii and 12 taxa in N. coriiceps. Acanthocephalans, mainly Metacanthocephalus johnstoni and Aspersentis megarhynchus, were the most abundant and prevalent parasites in both fish species. The abundance and richness of the parasite infracommunity increased with the host body length only in N. rossii. Twelve parasitic taxa were shared by both notothen species. Abundance and prevalence of parasitic taxa, as well as the average richness and abundance of the parasite infracommunities were mostly similar between the two fish species. Parasite compositions of N. coriiceps reported in published studies from King George Island were relatively comparable to our sample. We concluded that the two congeneric and sympatric fish species had highly similar parasite communities, which indicates that they use resources in a similar way, thus allowing them to become parasitized with the same parasitic species and in the same abundances. All parasites recorded in this study have been found in several other fish species; therefore, parasites from notothens are considered to be generalists.

Endoparasite communities of five fish species (Labridae: Cheilininae) from Lizard Island: how important is the ecology and phylogeny of the hosts?

Parasitology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. MUÑOZ ◽  
A. S. GRUTTER ◽  
T. H. CRIBB
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Host Diet ◽  
Host Phylogeny ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Host Characteristics

The parasite community of animals is generally influenced by host physiology, ecology, and phylogeny. Therefore, sympatric and phylogenetically related hosts with similar ecologies should have similar parasite communities. To test this hypothesis we surveyed the endoparasites of 5 closely related cheilinine fishes (Labridae) from the Great Barrier Reef. They were Cheilinus chlorourus, C. trilobatus, C. fasciatus, Epibulus insidiator and Oxycheilinus diagramma. We examined the relationship between parasitological variables (richness, abundance and diversity) and host characteristics (body weight, diet and phylogeny). The 5 fishes had 31 parasite species with 9–18 parasite species per fish species. Cestode larvae (mostly Tetraphyllidea) were the most abundant and prevalent parasites followed by nematodes and digeneans. Parasites, body size and diet of hosts differed between fish species. In general, body weight, diet and host phylogeny each explained some of the variation in richness and composition of parasites among the fishes. The 2 most closely related species, Cheilinus chlorourus and C. trilobatus, had broadly similar parasites but the other fish species differed significantly in all variables. However, there was no all-encompassing pattern. This may be because different lineages of parasites may react differently to ecological variables. We also argue that adult parasites may respond principally to host diet. In contrast, larval parasite composition may respond both to host diet and predator-prey interactions because this is the path by which many parasites complete their life-cycles. Finally, variation in parasite phylogeny and parasite life-cycles among hosts likely increase the complexity of the system making it difficult to find all-encompassing patterns between host characteristics and parasites, particularly when all the species in rich parasite communities are considered.

Richness patterns in the parasite communities of exotic poeciliid fishes

Parasitology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. M. DOVE
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Parasite Richness ◽  
Host Sex ◽  
Native Fishes

Three species of poeciliids (Gambusia holbrooki, Xiphophorus helleri and X. maculatus) and 15 species of ecologically similar native freshwater fishes (mainly eleotrids, ambassids, melanotaeniids and retropinnids) were examined for parasite richness to investigate parasite flux, qualitative differences, quantitative differences and the structuring factors in parasite communities in the 2 fish types in Queensland, Australia. Theory suggests that poeciliids would harbour depauperate parasite communities. Results supported this hypothesis; poeciliids harboured more species-poor parasite infracommunities and regional faunas than natives (P < 0·0001), despite greater sampling effort for the former. Cluster analysis of presence/absence data for poeciliids and the 6 most-sampled native fishes revealed that parasite communities of the 2 fish groups are qualitatively distinct; the proportion of parasite species with complex life-cycles was lower in poeciliids than in native species, and Myxosporea, Microspora, Coccidia and parasitic Crustacea were all absent from poeciliids. Limited exchange of parasite species has occurred between natives and poeciliids. Logistic ordinal regression analysis revealed that fish origin (exotic or native), environmental disturbance and host sex were all significant determinants of parasite community richness (P < 0·05). Theoretical modelling suggests that poeciliids are at a competitive advantage over native fishes because of their lack of parasites.

scholarly journals Life-cycle mediated effects of urbanization on parasite communities in the estuarine fish, Fundulus heteroclitus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Alfieri ◽  
Tavis K. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Physicochemical Factors ◽  
Primary Parasite ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between urbanization and parasite community structure in the estuarine fish, Fundulus heteroclitus. We measured landscape and physicochemical factors associated with urbanization at 6 sites from 4 collection periods. Concurrently, we quantified the metazoan parasite community in F. heteroclitus collected at those sites, with 105 fish studied per site during the 4 collection periods. Parasite community composition differed between sites. Variation in the prevalence and intensity of infection of two indirect life-cycle parasites, Lasiocotus minutus and Glossocercus caribaensis, were the primary parasite species that determined this pattern. Sediment potassium and aquatic osmium were the most important physicochemical factors in structuring parasite communities, and habitat dominance was the most important landscape factor. Our data supports the hypothesis that urbanization, acting at both landscape and physicochemical scales, can have a significant impact on parasite community structure. This, however, varied by parasite life history: there was little effect of urbanization on the prevalence and intensity of direct life-cycle parasites, but significant variation was dedicated for indirect life-cycle parasites. This study demonstrates how anthropogenically driven landscape change influences fine-scale parasite population dynamics.

scholarly journals Parasite community structure of cod from Bear Island (Barents Sea) and Pomeranian Bay (Baltic Sea)

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Sobecka ◽  
Ewa Łuczak ◽  
Beata Więcaszek ◽  
Artur Antoszek
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Higher Taxa ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Pomeranian Bay

Parasite community structure of cod from Bear Island (Barents Sea) and Pomeranian Bay (Baltic Sea) A total of 142 cods: 60 from the South-East Ground of Bear Island and 82 from the Pomeranian Bay (Baltic Sea) were examined for their ecto- and endoparasites. Twenty different parasite species, comprising one Myxosporea, three Cestoda, four Digenea, seven Nematoda, three Acanthocephala and two Crustacea were found. The parasite component communities comprised 1446 individuals (17 species, six higher taxa) from the Bear Island and 6588 individuals (nine species, three higher taxa) from Pomeranian Bay. The observed parasite host specificity was low, and the intensity in a single fish ranged from one to 279 specimens. The eudominant parasite species were Echinorhynchus gadi, Hemiurus levinseni and Contracaecum osculatum. The dominant parasite communities from the Bear Island were nematodes, but acanthocephalans dominated in cod from the Baltic Sea. It appears that one group of parasites, better adapted for the specific conditions of the macrohabitat, has replaced another. The most prevalent parasites were E. gadi, Anisakis simplex, C. osculatum and Hysterothylacium aduncum, and the mean values of crowding were the highest for E. gadi and Pomphorhynchus laevis. The nematode Camallanus lacustris was noted in this host species for the first time. Only six species of parasites were common to cod from both fishing grounds.

scholarly journals Host exposure to symbionts and ecological drift generate divergence in parasite community assembly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita L Grunberg ◽  
Brooklynn N Joyner ◽  
Charles E Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Priority Effects ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Ecological Selection ◽  
Multiple Processes ◽  
Parasite Infections

The initial colonization of a host by symbionts, ranging from parasites to mutualists, can generate priority effects that alter within-host interactions and the trajectory of parasite community assembly. At the same time, variation in parasite communities among hosts can also stem from stochastic processes. Community ecology theory posits that multiple processes (e.g. dispersal, selection and drift) interact to generate variation in community structure, but these processes are rarely considered simultaneously during community assembly. To test the role of these processes in a parasite community, we experimentally simulated dispersal of three symbionts by factorially inoculating individual plants of tall fescue with two foliar fungal parasites, Colletotrichum cereale and Rhizoctonia solani, and a hypothesized mutualist endophyte, Epichloë coenophiala. We then tracked parasite infections longitudinally in the field. After the initial inoculations, hosts were exposed to a common pool of parasites in the field, which we expected to cause parasite communities to converge towards a similar community state. To test for convergence, we analyzed individual hosts parasite community trajectories in multivariate space. In contrast to our expectation, there was no signal of convergence. Instead, parasite community trajectories generally diverged over time between treatment groups and the magnitude of divergence depended on the symbiont species inoculated. Parasite communities of hosts that were inoculated with only the mutualist, Epichloë, showed significant trends of divergence relative to all other symbiont inoculation treatments. In contrast, hosts inoculated with only Rhizoctonia did not exhibit clear trends of divergence when compared to other parasite inoculations. Further, co-inoculation with both parasite species resulted in faster rates of divergence and greater temporal change in parasite communities relative to hosts inoculated with only the parasite Colletotrichum. As predicted by existing theory, parasite communities showed evidence of drift during the beginning of the experiment, which contributed to among-host divergence in parasite community structure. Overall, these data provide evidence that initial dispersal of symbionts produced persistent changes in parasite community structure via ecological selection, that drift was important during the early stages of parasite community assembly, and together, dispersal, selection and drift resulted in parasite community divergence.

Community structure of fleas within and among populations of three closely related rodent hosts: nestedness and beta-diversity

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 1268-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUTHER VAN DER MESCHT ◽  
BORIS R. KRASNOV ◽  
CONRAD A. MATTHEE ◽  
SONJA MATTHEE
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
Rhabdomys Pumilio

SUMMARYWe studied nestedness and its relationships with beta-diversity in flea communities harboured by three closely related rodent species (Rhabdomys pumilio, Rhabdomys intermedius, Rhabdomys dilectus) at two spatial scales (within and among host populations) in South Africa and asked (a) whether variation in species composition of flea communities within and among host populations follows a non-random pattern; if yes, (b) what are the contributions of nestedness and species turnover to dissimilarity (= beta-diversity) among flea communities at the two scales; and (c) do the degree of nestedness and its contribution to beta-diversity differ among host species (socialvssolitary) and between scales. We found that nestedness in flea assemblages was more pronounced (a) in social than solitary host species and (b) at lower (among host individuals within populations) than at higher scale (among host populations). We also found that higher degree of nestedness was associated with its higher contribution to beta-diversity. Our findings support earlier ideas that parasite community structure results from the processes of parasite accumulation by hosts rather than from the processes acting within parasite communities.

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