Experimental study on host switching ability of gyrodactylid parasites (Monogenea) between related fish species
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Several experiments on percid and cyprinid fish species were performed to test host specificity and capability of Gyrodactylus species to switch relative host species. Percid fish (perch Perca fluviatilis L. and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus (L.)) and cyprinid fish (roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) and minnow Phoxinus phoxinus (L.)) were kept separately and together in the same group. Altogether 19 monogenean species from 5 genera were observed and among them 8 Gyrodactylus species were determined. There was the only one Gyrodactylus species found on both percids (Gyrodactylus cernuae) and ruffe appeared as more susceptible host for this species. In the case of cyprinids, 3 species of Gyrodactylus were found on roach and 6 species on minnow. Most Gyrodactylus species decreased or disappeared during the experiments, except for G. vimbi, which was the only species able to increase in the experimental conditions of this study. This species, similarly as G. cernuae on percids, was common to both cyprinid species where minnow appeared as more susceptible host. Other species remaining on cyprinids until the end of experiment were G. rutilensis and G. pannonicus. Both species seemed to be specialists, G. rutilensis for roach and G. pannonicus for minnow, since they were not found to attach to the second host species in mixed species groups. Gyrodactylus macronychus was the only species that apparently switched hosts from minnow to roach. Gyrodactylus cernuae was mainly found attached to the gills and head of both percid hosts, while gyrodactylids parasitizing cyprinids harbored mainly fins. |
| Related projects: |