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Physico-chemical determinants of helminth component community structure in whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformes) from adjacent lakes in Northern Alberta, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2005

C. P. GOATER ,
R. E. BALDWIN  and
G. J. SCRIMGEOUR
C. P. GOATER
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
R. E. BALDWIN
Affiliation:
Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 S.E. Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
G. J. SCRIMGEOUR
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada Present address: Alberta Conservation Association, P.O. Box 40027, Baker Centre Postal Outlet, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 4M9.
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Abstract

Populations of hosts vary extensively in the types and numbers of parasites that the average individual contains. Understanding the factors that lead to this variation is an important goal for parasite ecologists. We characterized patterns of helminth component community structure in whitefish collected from a cluster of 7 lakes located on an isolated plateau in northern Alberta, Canada. Component communities were species rich (5–6 species per lake), high in mean helminth intensity (approximately 80–500 individuals/host), and high in between-lake similarity (50–100%), a pattern consistent with results from studies on whitefish sampled from other localities in Northern Canada and Europe. Multivariate analyses indicated that the structure of the component communities was associated with 2 opposing environmental gradients. One was defined primarily by water colour, the second by phosphorous concentration. Thus, 4 lakes were characterized by a combination of high colour, low productivity, low parasite intensities, and the absence of larval acanthocephalans. Habitat/species associations were less clear as intensities increased, but the 3 remaining lakes tended to have the opposite characteristics. These results provide evidence that variation in helminth component community structure in fish is associated with variation in physicochemical characteristics that are linked to aquatic productivity.

Keywords

helminth community structuremultivariate analysestrophic statusfreshwater fish
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 131 , Issue 5 , November 2005 , pp. 713 - 722
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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