Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T11:35:45.891Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Light and gravity responses of the oncomiracidium of Entobdella soleae and their role in host location

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

G. C. Kearn
G. C. Kearn
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The behaviour of oncomiracidia of the monogenean skin parasite Entobdella soleae, after hatching without chemical stimulation, has been studied in vertical, 4 cm high chambers illuminated from above. Most freshly hatched larvae are photo-positive and swim to the top of the vessel, where they remain actively swimming. Occasionally larvae become photo-negative and make a brief excursion to the bottom of the vessel. As the larvae grow older, these photo-negative excursions become more frequent and larvae spend progressively longer in the photo-negative phase of behaviour, but, even after many hours, photo-positive vertical excursions are still occurring. If this pattern of alternating photo-positive and photo-negative vertical movements occurs in the natural environment, these vertical movements, coupled with horizontal transport of larvae by water currents, would provide a search pattern for the host, the diurnally-inactive, bottom-living flatfish Solea solea. When eggs are stimulated to hatch in the chambers with urea, large numbers of larvae emerge within a few min, and it was observed that during the period of about 30 min after stimulation, many larvae are photo-negative. When eggs on the sea bottom are stimulated to hatch by mucus or urine from a nearby host, such behaviour would greatly enhance chances of contact with the fish. When eggs are stimulated to hatch by means of urea in the absence of light, there is evidence that the oncomiracidia are geo-negative. It has been shown that larvae are able to extricate themselves in total darkness from sediment containing buried eggs and that, in an experimental situation illuminated only by an infra-red beam, larvae readily attach themselves to the lower skin of soles within 2 min of hatching. There is evidence that, in aquaria, some invasion of the host takes place from below.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 81 , Issue 1 , August 1980 , pp. 71 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ackefors, H., Ahnström, G., Eriksson, Å., Lindh, R., & Rosén, C., (1969). Electrical and mechanical construction of an underwater light meter. Meddelande från Havsflskelaboratoriet, Lysekil 74, 1–10.Google Scholar
Bartoli, P., & Prévot, G., (1978). Recherches écologiques sur les cycles évolutifs de Trématodes dans une lagune de Provence (France). II. Le cycle de Maritrema misenensis (A. Palombi, 1940) (Microphallidae) (Travassos, 1920). Annales de Parasitologie 53, 181–93.Google ScholarPubMed
Bover, J., (1967). Contribution à la morphologie et à la biologie de Diplozoon paradoxum v. Nordmann, 1832. Bulletin de la Société Neuchâteloise des Sciences naturelles 90, 64–159.Google Scholar
Bychowsky, B. E., (1957). Monogenetic Trematodes, their Classification and Phytogeny. Moscow and Leningrad: Academy of Sciences, U.S.S.R. (in Russian); English translation by Hargis, W. J. and Oustinoff, P. C. (1961). Washington: American Institute of Biological Sciences.Google Scholar
Crisp, D. J., (1974). Factors influencing the settlement of marine invertebrate larvae. In Chemoreception in Marine Organisms (ed. Grant, P. T. and Mackie, A. M.), pp. 177–265. New York and London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Fournier, A., (1976). Evolution des ultrastruetures d'un monogène aucours du cycle. Bulletin de laSociétézoologique de France 101, 1059–60.Google Scholar
Kearn, G. C., (1963 a). The egg, oncomiracidium and larval development oi Entobdella soleae, a monogenean skin parasite of the common sole. Parasitology 53, 435–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearn, G. C., (1963 b). The life cycle of the monogenean Entobdella soleae, a skin parasite of the common sole. Parasitology 53, 253–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearn, G. C., (1967). Experiments on host-finding and host-specificity in the monogenean skin parasite Entobdella soleae. Parasitology 57, 585–605.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kearn, G. C., (1973). An endogenous circadian hatching rhythm in the monogenean skin parasite Entobdella soleae, and its relationship to the activity rhythm of the host (Solea solea). Parasitology 66, 101–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearn, G. C., (1974). The effects of fish mucus on hatching in the monogenean parasite Entobdella soleae from the skin of the common sole, Solea solea. Parasitology 68, 173–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kearn, G. C., & Macdonald, S., (1976). The chemical nature of host hatching factors in the monogenean skin parasites Entobdella soleae and Acanthocotyle lobianchi. International Journal for Parasitology 6, 457–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kruuk, H., (1963). Diurnal periodicity in the activity of the common sole, Solea vulgarie Quensel. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research 2, 1–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macdonald, S., (1974). Aspects of the biology of some monogenean parasites. Ph.D. thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich.Google Scholar
Paling, J. E., (1969). The manner of infection of trout gills by the monogenean parasite Discocotyle sagittate. Journal of Zoology 159, 293–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, J. E., & Theodor, J., (1968). Irrigation of submerged marine sands through wave action. Nature, London 220, 682–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, A., (1969). The Fishes of the British Isles and North West Europe. London: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Wilson, R. A., & Denison, J., (1970). Studies on the activity of the miracidium of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 32, 301–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Winslade, P., (1974). Behavioural studies on the lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus (Raitt) II. The effect of light intensity on activity. Journal of Fish Biology 6, 577–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weight, C. A., (1971). Flukes and Snails. London: George Allen and Unwin.Google Scholar