Patterns of monogenean abundance in native and invasive populations of Planiliza haematocheila (Teleostei: Mugilidae): interactions between climate and host defence mechanisms explain parasite release.

Patterns of monogenean abundance in native and invasive populations of Planiliza haematocheila (Teleostei: Mugilidae): interactions between climate and host defence mechanisms explain parasite release. Int J Parasitol. 2020 Aug 13;: Authors: Shvydka S, Cadarso-Suárez C, Ballová D, Sarabeev V Abstract One of the most intriguing questions in invasive biology is how an introduced species changes its population parameters in a new environment. Translocation of free-living species commonly results in co-introduction of their parasites. The current study focuses on the abundance pattern of the monogenean parasite Ligophorus llewellyni of the pacific so-iuy mullet, Planiliza haematocheila, across the native and introduced distribution ranges. We evaluated parasite release by the so-iuy mullet by comparing abundance patterns of L. llewellyni under effects of the host length, water temperature and month of the year in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Azov. Generalized additive models applied to analysis of parasite abundance data showed that relationships between the mean number of L. llewellyni and the three tested independent variables were not linear. Our results suggest that the introduced host lost a large amount of parasite abundance due to the effect of warm climate in a new region, which is mediated by host defence mechanisms. The abundance of L. llewellyni rapidly rose in autumn, as fish activity and immune response decrease, reache...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: research