Behavioral changes in host foraging: Experiments with Cinostomum (Trematoda, Digenea) parasitizing Loricariichtys platymetopon (Loricariidae).

Behavioral changes in host foraging: Experiments with Cinostomum (Trematoda, Digenea) parasitizing Loricariichtys platymetopon (Loricariidae). Exp Parasitol. 2020 Jun 23;:107916 Authors: Nicola DN, Paiva IA, Takemoto RM Abstract Complex life cycle parasites can manipulate the behavior of intermediate hosts in order to reduce their fitness and increase the chance of completing life cycle. In order to understand the effects of the trematode parasites of the genus Clinostomum on host fish Loricariichthys platymetopon, a filmed experiment was carried out to quantify the foraging activity of hosts with different intensities of infection. The results suggest that hosts with higher parasite intensities reduced foraging activity early in the morning when compared to hosts with low intensities. This period may be critical for hosts since birds, the target hosts of such trematodes, forage intensively at dawn. PMID: 32590020 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Experimental Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: research