Community structure of Diplostomum spp. (Digenea: Diplostomidae) in fish lenses
Numerous evolutionary and ecological factors can influence parasite community composition and structure in fish. Time of sampling, host phylogeny, length, age, sex, and interspecific associations among parasite species are among them. I assessed the impact of these factors in larval diplostomid infr...
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| Format: | Others |
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2013
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| Online Access: | http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/976955/1/Desilets_MSc_S2013.pdf Désilets, Hubert <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/D=E9silets=3AHubert=3A=3A.html> (2013) Community structure of Diplostomum spp. (Digenea: Diplostomidae) in fish lenses. Masters thesis, Concordia University. |
| Summary: | Numerous evolutionary and ecological factors can influence parasite community composition and structure in fish. Time of sampling, host phylogeny, length, age, sex, and interspecific associations among parasite species are among them. I assessed the impact of these factors in larval diplostomid infracommunities (i.e., the assemblage of all the individuals of all parasite species in an individual host at a particular time) composed of four different Diplostomum species. I used the barcode region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I to distinguish species of Diplostomum in 1065 metacercariae from the lenses of 828 fish distributed in 20 different host species collected in 2006, 2010 and 2011. Negative associations among Diplostomum species were found and the strength of these associations was a function of parasite abundance. These results suggest competitive interactions among nearly all Diplostomum species encountered. Inter-annual variation in Diplostomum infracommunities was far greater than inter-seasonal variation. The differences in infracommunity composition and structure could not be explained by host phylogeny. Host length and age, but not sex, had significant effects on Diplostomum infracommunity structure. However, a significant amount of variance in the system could not be explained, indicating the potential importance of other factors such as resistance or exposure in determining infracommunity structure. My work provided insights on factors affecting natural and potentially interactive larval trematode communities in fish. |
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