Transmission of Skrjabinoclava morrisoni Wong and Anderson, 1988 (Nematoda: Acuarioidea) to semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla (L.)) (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae)

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 2265-2269 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Wong ◽  
R. C. Anderson

Skrjabinoclava morrisoni Wong and Anderson, 1988 of the proventriculus of semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla (L.)) developed to the infective stage in the marine amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas). The first moult occurred 8 d and the second, 11 d postinfection at 20 °C. In the final host, fourth-stage larvae were recovered from one experimental bird examined 8 d postinfection. Juvenile birds collected at Long Point, Ontario, were not infected with S. morrisoni suggesting that transmission may not occur on the breeding ground. Transmission occurs, however, in the Canadian Maritimes and the Gulf of Mexico, as evidenced by the presence of juvenile S. morrisoni in birds collected on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, and birds recently arrived at Delta Marsh, Manitoba, from the Gulf Coast.

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean G McCurdy ◽  
Mark R Forbes ◽  
J Sherman Boates

Certain parasites appear to alter the behaviour of intermediate hosts, making them more susceptible to predation by final hosts (adaptive parasite manipulation). In some cases, however, hosts are expected to respond by increasing their reproductive effort when first parasitized (adaptive host response). We tested predictions of these two hypotheses for males of the amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas). Consistent with adaptive parasite manipulation, males infected by the trematode Gynaecotyla adunca (Linton) were likely to crawl on the surface of a mud flat, but only when visual predation by the final host, semipalmated sandpipers, Calidris pusilla L., was likely (during the day), and after trematodes had developed to their infective stage. Males appeared to compensate for parasitism by being more likely to mate, and perhaps by increasing ejaculate size. However, parasitized males that mated when first infected were less likely to mate again once their parasites reached their infective stage, despite their increased crawling at that time, which is associated with mate searching. We did not find that trematodes reduced host survival, apart from expected increases in predation rate on amphipods; in fact, highly infected amphipods actually lived longer than lightly infected ones. Taken together, our results suggest that adaptive host responses can occur before parasite manipulation is realized.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sherman Boates ◽  
Peter C. Smith

During late spring and summer, the crawling behaviour of the amphipod Corophium volutator was studied on an intertidal mudflat in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia. On average, less than 1% of the population crawled on any tide and these individuals tended to be large adults that were predominantly males. Animals emerged as the tide receded but most had crawled into burrows after 25 min. The crawling behaviour did not seem to be related to the lunar cycle as was expected; however, there was a sharp reduction in crawling activity (from 36.3 to 1.2 amphipods/m2) in July that coincided with the arrival of Semipalmated Sandpipers, Calidris pusilla, an abundant seasonal predator. The proportion of males in the amphipod population declined during the period when sandpipers were present. It appears that both a change in amphipod behaviour and depletion of the animals most prone to crawling may contribute to the observed reduction in crawling activity. Qualitative and quantitative evidence show that sandpipers were attracted to the tide edge where crawling amphipods were relatively abundant and that they increased their food intake by doing so.


2008 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin M. MacKinnon ◽  
Julie Dulude ◽  
Andrew C. Kennedy ◽  
Sophie J. E. Surette ◽  
Peter W. Hicklin

An observation of Semipalmated Sandpipers roosting on a cliff face in Shepody Bay, New Brunswick, suggests changes from “traditional” roosting sites. Sandpipers may be altering their roosting patterns due to pressures from avian predators such as the recent, and successful, re-introduction of the Peregrine Falcon.


2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 1181-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.T. Quinn ◽  
D.J. Hamilton

Semipalmated Sandpipers ( Calidris pusilla (L., 1766)) use the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada, as a critical stopover site during their annual fall migration to wintering grounds in South America. While in the area, they feed extensively on mudflat invertebrates. Historically the amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766) has been thought to make up the majority of their diet. However, we have recently observed flexibility in foraging behaviour and prey selection by sandpipers. The extent of this flexibility and the current diet composition is unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, we assessed Semipalmated Sandpiper diets using stable isotope analyses of blood plasma and available prey items. Data were collected in two arms of the Bay of Fundy during summer 2009 and 2010. Diets fluctuated between years and sites, but in all cases the diet was much more diverse than previously thought. Polychaetes and biofilm made substantial contributions, and C. volutator was still present in the diet, but at much reduced levels than previously noted. This previously unrecognized inclusion of biofilm in the diet is consistent with recent observations of other calidrid shorebirds. Based on measures of prey availability, there is little evidence of preference for C. volutator.


2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 565-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.T. Quinn ◽  
D.J. Hamilton ◽  
C.E. Hebert

Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla (L., 1766)) that migrate through the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada, depend on a rich food supply to fuel their continued migration. Although past studies have reported a diet dominated by the amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766), an animal rich in n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), recent evidence suggests that sandpiper diets are broad. This is beneficial in that it allows Semipalmated Sandpipers to respond to a changing food base, but quality of food is also important. PUFAs are important in providing the energy required by migrating birds and may play a role in migratory preparation. We assessed fatty acid (FA) concentrations and proportions in three common food items. We found that polychaetes should adequately meet the needs of migrating sandpipers in terms of FA composition. Concentrations of FAs in biofilm were low, but proportionally, n–3 PUFAs were well represented, particularly in biofilm collected in Shepody Bay, where it forms a substantial part of the sandpiper diet. Therefore, provided that birds can consume a sufficient volume of biofilm, it is also probably a suitable source of essential FAs. Our results suggest that Semipalmated Sandpipers in the Bay of Fundy can meet their FA needs with a variety of dietary options.


The Auk ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 1397-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Rice ◽  
Jaime A. Collazo ◽  
Mathew W. Alldredge ◽  
Brian A. Harrington ◽  
Allen R. Lewis

Abstract We report seasonal residency and local annual survival rates of migratory Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) at the Cabo Rojo salt flats, Puerto Rico. Residency rate (daily probability of remaining on the flats) was 0.991 ± 0.001 (x̄ ± SE), yielding a mean length of stay of 110 days. This finding supports the inclusion of the Caribbean as part of the species' winter range. Average estimated percentage of fat was low but increased throughout the season, which suggests that birds replenish some spent fat reserves and strive for energetic maintenance. Local annual survival rate was 0.62 ± 0.04, within the range of values reported for breeding populations at Manitoba and Alaska (0.53–0.76). The similarity was not unexpected because estimates were obtained annually but at opposite sites of their annual migratory movements. Birds captured at the salt flats appeared to be a mix of birds from various parts of the breeding range, judging from morphology (culmen's coefficient of variation = 9.1, n = 106). This suggested that origin (breeding area) of birds and their proportion in the data should be ascertained and accounted for in analyses to glean the full conservation implications of winter-based annual survival estimates. Those data are needed to unravel the possibility that individuals of distinct populations are affected by differential mortality factors across different migratory routes. Mean length of stay strongly suggested that habitat quality at the salt flats was high. Rainfall and tidal flow combine to increase food availability during fall. The salt flats dry up gradually toward late January, at the onset of the dry season. Semipalmated Sandpipers may move west to other Greater Antilles or south to sites such as coastal Surinam until the onset of spring migration. They are not an oversummering species at the salt flats. Conservation efforts in the Caribbean region require understanding the dynamics of this species throughout winter to protect essential habitat. Tasas de Supervivencia Anual Local y de Residencia Estacional de Calidris pusilla en Puerto Rico


2014 ◽  
Vol 133 ◽  
pp. 362-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Burger ◽  
Michael Gochfeld ◽  
Lawrence Niles ◽  
Amanda Dey ◽  
Christian Jeitner ◽  
...  

1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Frederick Joseph Crichton ◽  
Mary Beverley-Burton

Larvae of Dracunculus insignis developed to the infective stage in experimentally infected Cyclops vernalis and C. bicuspidatus thomasi kept at 24 C. The first molt occurred at 8–9 days and the second at 13–16 days. Second- and third-stage larvae are briefly described. Infective larvae were administered to raccoon (Procyon lotor) and mink (Mustela vison) and necropsies were performed at predetermined intervals for the determination of the migratory route. In raccoon, third-stage larvae were recovered from the gut wall and mesentery of the abdominal cavity on the 1st day. Larvae were found in the intercostal muscles by the 5th day and in the subcutaneous tissue of the thorax and abdomen by the 7th day. Development to fourth stage was complete by the 19th day. Sexual differences were apparent by the 34th day and worms were present in subcutaneous tissue of the thorax, abdomen, and inguinal region. Male worms were mature at 60 days and females at 65–70 days. Larvigerous females were found in the extremities as early as 120 days post infection. The prepatent period was 354 (309–410) days. Similar results were obtained from mink. Quantitative data on the distribution of worms in various locations within the final host at different times after infection are included.


Ibis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRETT K. SANDERCOCK ◽  
CHERI L. GRATTO-TREVOR

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