Susceptibility of Prussian carp infected by metacercariae of Posthodiplostomum cuticola (v. Nordmann, 1832) to fish predation
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Ecological Research |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Ecology |
| Keywords | parasite predation Digenea intermediate host |
| Description | Parasites that are trophically transmitted often alter behaviour of their intermediate hosts resulting in increased predation by their definitive hosts. In this study, we investigated susceptibility of prey fish infected by metacercariae of Posthodiplostomum cuticola (Digenea: Diplostomatidae) to the predation of non-host predator in experimental conditions. Parasitized young-of-the-year Prussian carp Carassius auratus were significantly more often consumed by perch Perca fluviatilis compared to non-parasitized individuals, independently on the Prussian carp density. The proportion of parasitized and non-parasitized fish consumed by the predator remained stable at four different prey densities. The probability of predation did not increase with the intensity of parasite infection. |
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