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Abundance/host size relationship in a fish trematode community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

A. Saad-Fares  and
C. Combes
A. Saad-Fares
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches Marines B.P.123. Jounieh, LibanFrance
C. Combes
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biologie Animale, Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropicale et Méditerranéenne, Université, 66860 Perpignan, France
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Abstract

The 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.

Keywords

abundanceinfection dynamicshost-parasite systemcompetitionhost sizeAphanurus stossichiBacciger israelensisPlagioporus idoneusLepocreadium albumLepocreadium pegorchisDiphterostomum israelenseTrematoda
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 66 , Issue 3 , September 1992 , pp. 187 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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