THE EFFECT OF HYBRIDIZATION ON MONOGENEAN PARASITES: THE EXPERIMENTAL CROSS-BREEDING OF ABRAMIS BRAMA AND BLICCA BJOERKNA
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | The hybridization in fish is a common phenomenon in nature even the frequency of cyprinid hybrids are often very low. The genetic disruption resulting from hybridization of divergent species may lead to the interruption of the system of the host-parasite co-adaptation. As a result, the hybrids suffer from high parasite load. Monogenean parasites due to their high host specificity and direct life cycle represent the suitable model to analyze the possible impacts of hybridization in fish. The aim of this study was to compare the composition of monogenean communities in pure parental lines and F1 hybrid lines. We focused on the effects of the hybridization and maternal origin of hybrids on the presence and abundance of monogenean parasites. The breed lines of pure Abramis brama and Blicca bjoerkna as well as F1 generation with different maternal position (either A. brama or B. bjoerkna) were prepared prior to this experimental study. Specimens of each line were submitted to experimental infection of monogeneans using both parental species as a source of infection. Fish were examined for the presence of monogenean parasites. All monogeneans were identified. Monogenean species richness was higher in hybrids when compared to common bream or silver bream. However, higher monogenean abundance was found in both parental species. The presence of the parental-species specific monogeneans in the hybrids might indicate the interruption of the host-parasite system of co-adapted genes. The monogenean communities in the hybrids with both maternal origins were more similar to the monogenean communities of the silver bream than those of common bream. The results of this study confirmed our previous hypothesis of the different degree of the host-parasite co-adaptation. |
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