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Infection levels of plerocercoids of the tapeworm Triaenophorus crassus and feeding strategy in two fish species from the ultra-oligotrophic Lake Achensee, Austria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2014

Z. Schähle ,
N. Medgyesy  and
R. Psenner
Z. Schähle*
Affiliation:
Tyrolean Fisheries Association, Ing.-Etzel-Strasse 63, 6020Innsbruck, Austria University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020Innsbruck, Austria
N. Medgyesy
Affiliation:
University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020Innsbruck, Austria
R. Psenner
Affiliation:
University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020Innsbruck, Austria
*
* E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Thus far, high burdens of Triaenophorus crassus plerocercoids have been reported only in old age groups of coregonid and salmonid fishes. Here we show heavy infection with T. crassus in young whitefish Coregonus lavaretus in the ultra-oligotrophic and regulated Achensee in Tyrol, Austria. Prevalence of T. crassus on C. lavaretus was 100% in all age groups and abundance significantly increased with fish age. The mean annual accumulation of T. crassus was 5.2 parasites in 0- to 7-year-old C. lavaretus, and 2-year-old specimens already harboured a mean of 19.4 plerocercoids. In Arctic charr Salvelinus umbla, however, the prevalence of T. crassus was less than 16% and the majority of infected fish contained only one or two plerocercoids. Triaenophorus nodulosus was present neither in C. lavaretus nor in S. umbla. We assume that the heavy T. crassus infection in C. lavaretus is largely related to their zooplankton-dominated diet and to the characteristics of Achensee, while habitat choice and feeding strategy of the S. umbla population are seen to be the main reasons for their low burdens of T. crassus.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , pp. 54 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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