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Effects of the trematode Microphallus turgidus on locomotion and prey capture in the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

R.N. Khan
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA 31419, USA
J.A. Spiers
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA 31419, USA
O.J. Pung*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology, Georgia Southern University, PO Box 8042, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
*
*Author for correspondence * Fax: 912 681 0845 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, is common in estuaries and marshes along the east coast of the USA and is frequently infected with metacercariae of the trematode, Microphallus turgidus. To test whether or not M. turgidus has an effect on intermediate host behaviour, the length of time spent swimming and walking over 1min and 3min intervals and prey (Artemia) capture rates of uninfected grass shrimp and those infected with 1–10, 11–20 or 21–30 metacercarial cysts were compared. Uninfected shrimps spent significantly more time swimming than infected shrimps during the first minute of observation. There were no differences between the control and infected groups in terms of swimming at 3min, walking at 1 and 3min, or in numbers of prey captured. These results indicate that M. turgidus may induce little or no change in grass shrimp locomotion nor in prey capture behaviour. This is in contrast to other parasites that modify intermediate host behaviour to enhance their transmission to definitive hosts. Furthermore, these data support earlier studies indicating that M. turgidus does not affect the growth and survival of P. pugio.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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