1
|
Hendrick GC, Nicholson MD, Pagan JA, Artim JM, Dolan MC, Sikkel PC. Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes. Oecologia 2023; 203:349-360. [PMID: 37951847 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05468-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Appreciation for the role of cryptofauna in ecological systems has increased dramatically over the past decade. The impacts blood-feeding arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitos, have on terrestrial communities are the subject of hundreds of papers annually. However, blood-feeding arthropods have been largely ignored in marine environments. Gnathiid isopods, often referred to as "ticks of the sea", are temporary external parasites of fishes. They are found in all marine environments and have many consequential impacts on host fitness. Because they are highly mobile and only associated with their hosts while obtaining a blood meal, their broader trophic connections are difficult to discern. Conventional methods rely heavily on detecting gnathiids on wild-caught fishes. However, this approach typically yields few gnathiids and does not account for hosts that avoid capture. To overcome this limitation, we sequenced blood meals of free-living gnathiids collected in light traps to assess the host range and community-dependent exploitation of Caribbean gnathiid isopods. Using fish-specific COI (cox1) primers, sequencing individual blood meals from 1060 gnathiids resulted in the identification of 70 host fish species from 27 families. Comparisons of fish assemblages to blood meal identification frequencies at four collection sites indicated that fishes within the families Haemulidae (grunts) and Lutjanidae (snappers) were exploited more frequently than expected based on their biomass, and Labrid parrotfishes were exploited less frequently than expected. The broad host range along with the biased exploitation of diel-migratory species has important implications for the role gnathiid isopods play in Caribbean coral reef communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gina C Hendrick
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Matthew D Nicholson
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - J Andres Pagan
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO - Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - John M Artim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
| | - Maureen C Dolan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
| | - Paul C Sikkel
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
- Water Research Group, Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mitwally H, Rashidy HE, Montagna P. Linkages between pelagic and benthic biota in a deteriorated coastal lake after restoration, Maruit, Egypt. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:919. [PMID: 37405573 PMCID: PMC10322792 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11525-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Until the 1960s, Lake Maruit was one of Egypt's most productive coastal brackish lakes. Continuous polluted discharge from Alexandria city resulted in long-term deterioration. The Egyptian government started a lake restoration program in 2010. Biological linkages between pelagic and benthic communities were assessed in November 2012 using parasitism and predation. This study examined ectoparasites infesting tilapia fish from 300 samples. The platyhelminth ectoparasite, Monogenea, and parasitic-copepod Ergasilus lizae were detected. Platyhelminthes parasitized Oreochromis niloticus and Oreochromis aureus, whereas the crustacean parasitized Coptodon zillii. The parasitic prevalence was low for Cichlidogyrus sp. and Ergasilus lizae. Benthic biotas were similar across basins. Fish abundance does not respond directly to benthic biotic components. Phytoplankton and benthic microalgae were not the main fish diet. Data on Halacaridae and fish clustered, indicating that either Halacaridae responds to their environment like fish or fish prey upon them because of their size. Linear correlations between pelagic, benthic biota, and parasite-infected fish indicate parasites may control their hosts. Some bioindicators indicate that stressed ecosystems differ from unstressed ecosystems. Fish species and biota abundances were low. Inconsistency in the food web and an absence of direct interactions between prey and predators are bioindicators of disturbed ecosystems. The low prevalence of ectoparasites and lack of heterogenous distribution of the various examined biota are bioindicators of habitat rehabilitation. Ongoing biomonitoring to better understand habitat rehabilitation is suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanan Mitwally
- Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Hoda El Rashidy
- Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Paul Montagna
- Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Thambithurai D, Lanthier I, Contant E, Killen SS, Binning SA. Fish vulnerability to capture by trapping is modulated by individual parasite density. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221956. [PMID: 36515121 PMCID: PMC9748777 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Commercial fishery harvest is a powerful evolutionary agent, but we know little about whether environmental stressors affect harvest-associated selection. We test how parasite infection relates to trapping vulnerability through selective processes underlying capture. We used fish naturally infected with parasites, including trematodes causing black spots under fish skin. We first assessed how individual parasite density related to standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and absolute aerobic scope (AAS)-then used laboratory fishing simulations to test how capture vulnerability was related to parasite density. We further explored group-trapping dynamics using experimental shoals containing varying proportions of infected fish (groups of six with either 0, 2, 4 or 6 infected individuals). At the individual level, we found a positive relationship between parasite presence and SMR, but not MMR or AAS. While we saw no relationship between individual metabolic capacity and vulnerability to trapping, we found the length of time fish spent in traps increased with increasing parasite density, a predictor of trapping-related capture probability. At the group level, the number of infected individuals in a shoal did not affect overall group trapping vulnerability. Our results suggest that parasite infection has some capacity to shift individual vulnerability patterns in fisheries, and potentially influence the evolutionary outcomes of fisheries-induced evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Thambithurai
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, Ifremer, Sète 32400, France
| | - Isabel Lanthier
- Département de sciences biologiques, l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eloi Contant
- École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 4-14 rue Ferrus, Paris 75014, France
| | - Shaun S. Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Sandra A. Binning
- Département de sciences biologiques, l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Ressources Aquatiques Québec (RAQ), Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER), Université de Québec à Rimouski, 310 avenue des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, Canada G5L 2Z9
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Paula JR, Repolho T, Grutter AS, Rosa R. Access to Cleaning Services Alters Fish Physiology Under Parasite Infection and Ocean Acidification. Front Physiol 2022; 13:859556. [PMID: 35755439 PMCID: PMC9213755 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.859556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleaning symbioses are key mutualistic interactions where cleaners remove ectoparasites and tissues from client fishes. Such interactions elicit beneficial effects on clients’ ecophysiology, with cascading effects on fish diversity and abundance. Ocean acidification (OA), resulting from increasing CO2 concentrations, can affect the behavior of cleaner fishes making them less motivated to inspect their clients. This is especially important as gnathiid fish ectoparasites are tolerant to ocean acidification. Here, we investigated how access to cleaning services, performed by the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, affect individual client’s (damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis) aerobic metabolism in response to both experimental parasite infection and OA. Access to cleaning services was modulated using a long-term removal experiment where cleaner wrasses were consistently removed from patch reefs around Lizard Island (Australia) for 17 years or left undisturbed. Only damselfish with access to cleaning stations had a negative metabolic response to parasite infection (maximum metabolic rate—ṀO2Max; and both factorial and absolute aerobic scope). Moreover, after an acclimation period of 10 days to high CO2 (∼1,000 µatm CO2), the fish showed a decrease in factorial aerobic scope, being the lowest in fish without the access to cleaners. We propose that stronger positive selection for parasite tolerance might be present in reef fishes without the access to cleaners, but this might come at a cost, as readiness to deal with parasites can impact their response to other stressors, such as OA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Ricardo Paula
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Tiago Repolho
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Rui Rosa
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Spitzer CA, Anderson TW, Sikkel PC. Habitat associations and impacts on a juvenile fish host by a temperate gnathiid isopod. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 17:65-73. [PMID: 34984169 PMCID: PMC8693287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The distribution and abundance of organisms is typically shaped by multiple biotic and abiotic processes. Micropredators are parasite-like organisms that are smaller than their hosts and/or prey and feed on multiple hosts during a given life stage. Unlike typical parasites, however, they spend much or most of their time free-living, associating only temporarily with hosts. In the ocean, micropredators can impact multiple fish species, and in particular can have significant lethal and sub-lethal effects on newly settled fish. Although gnathiid isopods are abundant and primary micropredators in coral reef ecosystems, their impacts are relatively unexplored within sub-tidal temperate rocky reefs. We investigated the distribution of juvenile gnathiid isopods along sub-tidal temperate rocky reefs and tested trap methodology. We also quantified both the sub-lethal and lethal impacts of feeding-stage juvenile gnathiid isopods on juvenile, post-settlement reef fish, Heterostichus rostratus (giant kelpfish). We were most interested in determining the relationship between gnathiid infestation level and fish swimming performance, in particular swimming metrics relevant to predator avoidance maneuvers. We found that Gnathia tridens was present in rocky reefs rather than embayments along the Southern California coastline and that within rocky reefs, gnathiids occurred in the highest densities in lighted traps. Surprisingly, we observed almost no influence of fish size or gnathiid sub-lethal infestation level on ambient or burst swimming performance metrics. However, burst duration was reduced by gnathiid infestation, which is important in predator avoidance. There were significant differences in survivorship among small fish compared to large fish as a result of gnathiid infestation. Larger fish survived higher numbers of gnathiids than smaller fish, indicating that parasite-induced mortality is greater for smaller fish. Investigations of the effects of micropredators on subsequent predator-mediated mortality, including the susceptibility of fishes and their individual responses to micropredators, can further contribute to our understanding of processes affecting recruitment in resident reef fish populations. Further research, especially within temperate sub-tidal ecosystems, is needed to understand and highlight the overlooked importance of micropredation in shaping fish populations within a reefscape. Gnathiid isopods are more abundant in sub-tidal rocky reef than in bay habitats off southern California. Among the trap designs tested, lighted traps were most effective. Wave height and lunar period also impacted capture rates. For H. rostratus, gnathiids alter fish swimming performance at varying levels of infestation. Mortality rates from gnathiid infestation were inversely related to the size of fish host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire A. Spitzer
- Department of Biology and Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Todd W. Anderson
- Department of Biology and Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Paul C. Sikkel
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Emerging insights on effects of sharks and other top predators on coral reefs. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:57-65. [PMID: 35258079 PMCID: PMC9023017 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Predation is ubiquitous on coral reefs. Among the most charismatic group of reef predators are the top predatory fishes, including sharks and large-bodied bony fishes. Despite the threat presented by top predators, data describing their realized effects on reef community structure and functioning are challenging to produce. Many innovative studies have capitalized on natural experimental conditions to explore predator effects on reefs. Gradients in predator density have been created by spatial patterning of fisheries management. Evidence of prey release has been observed across some reefs, namely that potential prey increase in density when predator density is reduced. While such studies search for evidence of prey release among broad groups or guilds of potential prey, a subset of studies have sought evidence of release at finer population levels. We find that some groups of fishes are particularly vulnerable to the effects of predators and more able to capitalize demographically when predator density is reduced. For example, territorial damselfish appear to realize reliable population expansion with the reduction in predator density, likely because their aggressive, defensive behavior makes them distinctly vulnerable to predation. Relatedly, individual fishes that suffer from debilitating conditions, such as heavy parasite loads, appear to realize relatively stronger levels of prey release with reduced predator density. Studying the effects of predators on coral reefs remains a timely pursuit, and we argue that efforts to focus on the specifics of vulnerability to predation among potential prey and other context-specific dimensions of mortality hold promise to expand our knowledge.
Collapse
|
7
|
Caves EM. The behavioural ecology of marine cleaning mutualisms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2584-2601. [PMID: 34165230 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cleaning interactions, in which a small 'cleaner' organism removes and often consumes material from a larger 'client', are some of the most enigmatic and intriguing of interspecies interactions. Early research on cleaning interactions canonized the view that they are mutualistic, with clients benefiting from parasite removal and cleaners benefiting from a meal, but subsequent decades of research have revealed that the dynamics of these interactions can be highly complex. Despite decades of research on marine cleaning interactions (the best studied cleaning systems), key questions remain, including how the outcome of an individual cleaning interaction depends on ecological, behavioural, and social context, how such interactions arise, and how they remain stable over time. Recently, studies of marine parasites, long-term data from coral reef communities with and without cleaners, increased behavioural observations recorded using remote video, and a focus on a larger numbers of cleaning species have helped bring about key conceptual advances in our understanding of cleaning interactions. In particular, evidence now suggests that the ecological, behavioural, and social contexts of a given cleaning interaction can result in the outcome ranging from mutualistic to parasitic, and that cleaning interactions are mediated by signals that can also vary with context. Signals are an important means by which animals extract information about one another, and thus represent a mechanism by which interspecific partners can determine when, how, and with whom to interact. Here, I review our understanding of the behavioural ecology of marine cleaning interactions. In particular, I argue that signals provide a useful framework for advancing our understanding of several important outstanding questions. I discuss the costs and benefits of cleaning interactions, review how cleaners and clients recognize and assess one another using signals, and discuss how signal reliability, or 'honesty', may be maintained in cleaning systems. Lastly, I discuss the sensory ecology of both cleaners and clients to highlight what marine cleaning systems can tell us about signalling behaviour, signal form, and signal evolution in a system where signals are aimed at multiple receiver species. Overall, I argue that future research on cleaning interactions has much to gain by continuing to shift the research focus toward examining the variable outcomes of cleaning interactions in relation to the broader behavioural, social, and ecological contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M Caves
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Negative effect of ectoparasite burdens on the condition factor from farmed tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in the Yucatan, Mexico. Vet Parasitol 2021; 292:109393. [PMID: 33823389 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most important aquaculture species in the world, and, when introduced, the ectoparasites of Nile tilapia have followed. Currently, farmers worldwide consider these ectoparasites harmless, but intensities can reach up to 1000 individuals per fish in tropical regions. In this cross-sectional study, we used the condition factor to estimate the potential effects of low (45 ± 31 ectoparasites per fish) and high (295 ± 191) ectoparasitic burdens across 28 tilapia farms and included the analysis of the effects of 44 management and environmental variable from the farms. A stepwise procedure in a multiple linear regression analysis retained the variables that explained the most variance, which was the ectoparasitic burden (57 %). We found significantly higher values of the condition factor in Nile tilapia with low ectoparasitic burden than in those with high ectoparasitic burden. Additionally, Nile tilapia with a high ectoparasitic burden weighed less than half than those with a low burden (102 ± 105 g versus 230 ± 128 g, respectively). We also found a significant non-linear, negative relationship between the ectoparasitic burden and the relative condition factor values per fish, which was most likely due to an increase in gill mucus caused by the ectoparasitic burden that depleted energy in the Nile tilapia. The economic consequence of the ectoparasitic burden translated roughly into a loss up to 12-15 % in profit margin per ton of fish, based on the price of Nile tilapia in the Mexican market.
Collapse
|
9
|
Allan BJM, Illing B, Fakan EP, Narvaez P, Grutter AS, Sikkel PC, McClure EC, Rummer JL, McCormick MI. Parasite infection directly impacts escape response and stress levels in fish. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb230904. [PMID: 32611788 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.230904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can account for a substantial proportion of the biomass in marine communities. As such, parasites play a significant ecological role in ecosystem functioning via host interactions. Unlike macropredators, such as large piscivores, micropredators, such as parasites, rarely cause direct mortality. Rather, micropredators impose an energetic tax, thus significantly affecting host physiology and behaviour via sublethal effects. Recent research suggests that infection by gnathiid isopods (Crustacea) causes significant physiological stress and increased mortality rates. However, it is unclear whether infection causes changes in the behaviours that underpin escape responses or changes in routine activity levels. Moreover, it is poorly understood whether the cost of gnathiid infection manifests as an increase in cortisol. To investigate this, we examined the effect of experimental gnathiid infection on the swimming and escape performance of a newly settled coral reef fish and whether infection led to increased cortisol levels. We found that micropredation by a single gnathiid caused fast-start escape performance and swimming behaviour to significantly decrease and cortisol levels to double. Fast-start escape performance is an important predictor of recruit survival in the wild. As such, altered fitness-related traits and short-term stress, perhaps especially during early life stages, may result in large scale changes in the number of fish that successfully recruit to adult populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bridie J M Allan
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otāgo, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Björn Illing
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Eric P Fakan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Pauline Narvaez
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul C Sikkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72467, USA
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Eva C McClure
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4215, Australia
| | - Jodie L Rummer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Grutter AS, Feeney WE, Hutson KS, McClure EC, Narvaez P, Smit NJ, Sun D, Sikkel PC. Practical methods for culturing parasitic gnathiid isopods. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:825-837. [PMID: 32505649 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The reliance of parasites on their hosts makes host-parasite interactions ideal models for exploring ecological and evolutionary processes. By providing a consistent supply of parasites, in vivo monocultures offer the opportunity to conduct experiments on a scale that is generally not otherwise possible. Gnathiid isopods are common ectoparasites of marine fishes, and are becoming an increasing focus of research attention due to their experimental amenability and ecological importance as ubiquitous, harmful, blood-feeding "mosquito-like" organisms. They feed on hosts once during each of their three juvenile stages, and after each feeding event they return to the benthos to digest and moult to the next stage. Adults do not feed and remain in the benthos, where they reproduce and give birth. Here, we provide methods of culturing gnathiids, and highlight ways in which gnathiids can be used to examine parasite-host-environment interactions. Captive-raised gnathiid juveniles are increasingly being used in parasitological research; however, the methodology for establishing gnathiid monocultures is still not widely known. Information to obtain in vivo monocultures on teleost fish is detailed for a Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and a Caribbean Sea (US Virgin Islands) gnathiid species, and gnathiid information gained over two decades of successfully maintaining continuous cultures is summarised. Providing a suitable benthic habitat for the predominantly benthic free-living stage of this parasite is paramount. Maintenance comprises provision of adequate benthic shelter, managing parasite populations, and sustaining host health. For the first time, we also measured gnathiids' apparent attack speed (maximum 24.5 cm sec-1; 6.9, 4.9/17.0, median, 25th/75th quantiles) and illustrate how to collect such fast moving ectoparasites in captivity for experiments. In addition to providing details pertaining to culture maintenance, we review research using gnathiid cultures that have enabled detailed scientific understanding of host and parasite biology, behaviour and ecology on coral reefs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - William E Feeney
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia; Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Kate S Hutson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax St East, Nelson 7010 New Zealand; Centre for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1 University Drive, Townsville, Australia
| | - Eva C McClure
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Pauline Narvaez
- Centre for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1 University Drive, Townsville, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Nico J Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Derek Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Paul C Sikkel
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa; Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences Program, Arkansas State University, State University, AR 72467, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Neurobiological and behavioural responses of cleaning mutualisms to ocean warming and acidification. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12728. [PMID: 31484945 PMCID: PMC6726634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49086-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleaning interactions are textbook examples of mutualisms. On coral reefs, most fishes engage in cooperative interactions with cleaners fishes, where they benefit from ectoparasite reduction and ultimately stress relief. Furthermore, such interactions elicit beneficial effects on clients’ ecophysiology. However, the potential effects of future ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA) on these charismatic associations are unknown. Here we show that a 45-day acclimation period to OW (+3 °C) and OA (980 μatm pCO2) decreased interactions between cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) and clients (Naso elegans). Cleaners also invested more in the interactions by providing tactile stimulation under OA. Although this form of investment is typically used by cleaners to prolong interactions and reconcile after cheating, interaction time and client jolt rate (a correlate of dishonesty) were not affected by any stressor. In both partners, the dopaminergic (in all brain regions) and serotoninergic (forebrain) systems were significantly altered by these stressors. On the other hand, in cleaners, the interaction with warming ameliorated dopaminergic and serotonergic responses to OA. Dopamine and serotonin correlated positively with motivation to interact and cleaners interaction investment (tactile stimulation). We advocate that such neurobiological changes associated with cleaning behaviour may affect the maintenance of community structures on coral reefs.
Collapse
|
12
|
Changes in local free-living parasite populations in response to cleaner manipulation over 12 years. Oecologia 2019; 190:783-797. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04451-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
|
13
|
Binning SA, Roche DG, Grutter AS, Colosio S, Sun D, Miest J, Bshary R. Cleaner wrasse indirectly affect the cognitive performance of a damselfish through ectoparasite removal. Proc Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29514969 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleaning organisms play a fundamental ecological role by removing ectoparasites and infected tissue from client surfaces. We used the well-studied cleaning mutualisms involving the cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, to test how client cognition is affected by ectoparasites and whether these effects are mitigated by cleaners. Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis) collected from experimental reef patches without cleaner wrasse performed worse in a visual discrimination test than conspecifics from patches with cleaners. Endoparasite abundance also negatively influenced success in this test. Visual discrimination performance was also impaired in damselfish experimentally infected with gnathiid (Crustacea: Isopoda) ectoparasites. Neither cleaner absence nor gnathiid infection affected performance in spatial recognition or reversal learning tests. Injection with immune-stimulating lipopolysaccharide did not affect visual discrimination performance relative to saline-injected controls, suggesting that cognitive impairments are not due to an innate immune response. Our results highlight the complex, indirect role of cleaning organisms in promoting the health of their clients via ectoparasite removal and emphasize the negative impact of parasites on host's cognitive abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Binning
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland .,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St-Lucia, Australia.,Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique G Roche
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St-Lucia, Australia
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St-Lucia, Australia
| | - Simona Colosio
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Derek Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St-Lucia, Australia
| | - Joanna Miest
- Department of Life and Sports Sciences, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
|
15
|
Hutson KS, Cable J, Grutter AS, Paziewska-Harris A, Barber I. Aquatic Parasite Cultures and Their Applications. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:1082-1096. [PMID: 30473011 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In this era of unprecedented growth in aquaculture and trade, aquatic parasite cultures are essential to better understand emerging diseases and their implications for human and animal health. Yet culturing parasites presents multiple challenges, arising from their complex, often multihost life cycles, multiple developmental stages, variable generation times and reproductive modes. Furthermore, the essential environmental requirements of most parasites remain enigmatic. Despite these inherent difficulties, in vivo and in vitro cultures are being developed for a small but growing number of aquatic pathogens. Expanding this resource will facilitate diagnostic capabilities and treatment trials, thus supporting the growth of sustainable aquatic commodities and communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate S Hutson
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - Joanne Cable
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Iain Barber
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, NG25 0QF, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lethal and sublethal impacts of a micropredator on post-settlement Caribbean reef fishes. Oecologia 2018; 189:293-305. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4262-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
|
17
|
Jenkins WG, Demopoulos AW, Sikkel PC. Host feeding ecology and trophic position significantly influence isotopic discrimination between a generalist ectoparasite and its hosts: Implications for parasite-host trophic studies. FOOD WEBS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
18
|
Jahnsen-Guzmán N, Bernal-Durán V, Landaeta MF. Parasitic copepods affect morphospace and diet of larvae of a temperate reef fish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:330-346. [PMID: 29431227 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effects of ectoparasites on larvae of the clingfish Gobiesox marmoratus were evaluated at the dietary and morphometric levels. The larvae and ectoparasites were collected by nearshore plankton samplings during October, November and December 2013 off El Quisco Bay, central Chile. The standardized abundance of total larvae and those ectoparasitized larvae (PL) was positively related and high parasite prevalence was found throughout the sampling period (up to 38%). Geometric morphometrics analyses indicate main changes in the shape through early ontogeny and subtle but significant variations between PL and non-parasitized larvae (NPL). Prey composition varied between PL and NPL; small size (<6 mm standard length, LS ) parasitized larval G. marmoratus ate mostly gastropod larvae, whereas small non-parasitized specimens ate mainly cirripede nauplii. All larger (>8 mm LS ), pre-settlement stages parasitized by Trifur and, or Caligus copepods had content in their gut, suggesting that ectoparasites did not diminish prey capture in host with larger size. Morphometric and dietary changes occurring during larval development were decoupled, both for PL and NPL. The maintenance of a slender, more hydrodynamic body through pelagic development and the ingestion of less-mobile prey in PL suggests non-lethal effects of ectoparasitism on rocky-reef fish larvae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Jahnsen-Guzmán
- Laboratorio de Ictioplancton (LABITI), Escuela de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avenida Borgoño 16344, Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile
- Magíster en Biología Marina, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - V Bernal-Durán
- Laboratorio de Ictioplancton (LABITI), Escuela de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avenida Borgoño 16344, Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - M F Landaeta
- Laboratorio de Ictioplancton (LABITI), Escuela de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Valparaíso, Avenida Borgoño 16344, Reñaca, Viña del Mar, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vidal-Martínez VM, Soler-Jiménez LC, Aguirre-Macedo ML, Mclaughlin J, Jaramillo AG, Shaw JC, James A, Hechinger RF, Kuris AM, Lafferty KD. Monogenea of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll in the Central Pacific. Zookeys 2017:1-23. [PMID: 29134039 PMCID: PMC5674209 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.713.14732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A survey of the monogeneans of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll detected 16 species already reported from the Indo-West Pacific faunal region. A total of 653 individual fish from 44 species were collected from the sand flats bordering the lagoon of the atoll. Eighteen species of fish were infected with monogeneans. The monogenean species recovered were: Benedeniahawaiiensis on Acanthurusxanthopterus, Chaetodonauriga, Chaetodonlunula, Mulloidichthysflavolineatus, Pseudobalistesflavimarginatus and Rhinecanthusaculeatus; Ancyrocephalusornatus on Arothronhispidus; Euryhaliotremaannulocirrus on Chaetodonauriga and Chaetodonlunula; Euryhaliotremachrysotaeniae on Lutjanusfulvus; Euryhaliotremagrandis on Chaetodonauriga and Chaetodonlunula; Haliotremaacanthuri on Acanthurustriostegus; Haliotremaaurigae on Chaetodonauriga and Chaetodonlunula; Haliotremadempsteri on Acanthurusxanthopterus; Haliotremaminutospirale on Mulloidichthysflavolineatus; Haliotrematoidespatellacirrus on Lutjanusmonostigma; Neohaliotremabombini on Abudefdufseptemfasciatus and Abudefdufsordidus; Acleotremagirellae and Acleotremaparastromatei on Kyphosuscinerascens; Cemocotylellaelongata on Caranxignobilis, Caranxmelampygus and Caranxpapuensis; Metamicrocotylamacracantha on Crenimugilcrenilabris; and Pseudopterinotremaalbulaeon Albulaglossodonta. All these monogenean–host combinations represent new geographical records. The monogenean species composition of the Palmyra Atoll is similar to that of the Hawaiian Islands. However, the number of species recovered was lower compared with other localities within the Indo-West Pacific, perhaps due to the geographical isolation of Palmyra Atoll.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Manuel Vidal-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN) Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, Mérida, Yucatán C.P. 97310, México.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - Lilia Catherinne Soler-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN) Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, Mérida, Yucatán C.P. 97310, México
| | - Ma Leopoldina Aguirre-Macedo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN) Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, Mérida, Yucatán C.P. 97310, México.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - John Mclaughlin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - Alejandra G Jaramillo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - Jenny C Shaw
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN) Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, Mérida, Yucatán C.P. 97310, México
| | - Anna James
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - Ryan F Hechinger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA.,Scripps Institution of Oceanography-Marine Biology Research Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 USA
| | - Armand M Kuris
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| | - Kevin D Lafferty
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA.,Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Binning SA, Shaw AK, Roche DG. Parasites and Host Performance: Incorporating Infection into Our Understanding of Animal Movement. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:267-280. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
|
21
|
Tuttle LJ, Sikkel PC, Cure K, Hixon MA. Parasite-mediated enemy release and low biotic resistance may facilitate invasion of Atlantic coral reefs by Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans). Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1342-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
22
|
Sun D, Cheney KL, Werminghausen J, Meekan MG, McCormick MI, Cribb TH, Grutter AS. Presence of cleaner wrasse increases the recruitment of damselfishes to coral reefs. Biol Lett 2015; 11:rsbl.2015.0456. [PMID: 26289440 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms affect the biodiversity, distribution and abundance of biological communities. However, ecological processes that drive mutualism-related shifts in population structure are often unclear and must be examined to elucidate how complex, multi-species mutualistic networks are formed and structured. In this study, we investigated how the presence of key marine mutualistic partners can drive the organisation of local communities on coral reefs. The cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, removes ectoparasites and reduces stress hormones for multiple reef fish species, and their presence on coral reefs increases fish abundance and diversity. Such changes in population structure could be driven by increased recruitment of larval fish at settlement, or by post-settlement processes such as modified levels of migration or predation. We conducted a controlled field experiment to examine the effect of cleaners on recruitment processes of a common group of reef fishes, and showed that small patch reefs (61-285 m(2)) with cleaner wrasse had higher abundances of damselfish recruits than reefs from which cleaner wrasse had been removed over a 12-year period. However, the presence of cleaner wrasse did not affect species diversity of damselfish recruits. Our study provides evidence of the ecological processes that underpin changes in local population structure in the presence of a key mutualistic partner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Derek Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Johanna Werminghausen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark G Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, UWA Oceans Institute (M096), Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas H Cribb
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexandra S Grutter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Rameshkumar G, Ravichandran S. Effect of the parasitic isopod, Catoessa boscii (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), a buccal cavity parasite of the marine fish, Carangoides malabaricus. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2015; 3:118-22. [PMID: 23593590 DOI: 10.1016/s2221-1691(13)60035-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of isopod parasite Catoessa boscii (C. boscii) on Carangoides malabaricus (C. malabaricus). METHODS The host fish C. malabaricus infested by C. boscii were collected directly from the trawlers landed at Parangipettai coast during December 2008 to November 2009. Data regarding the total length, width, weight and sex of the host fish were recorded. Effect of infestation on C. malabaricus, the length and weight data were analysed and host specificity of isopods was also examined. RESULTS During the sampling period, 585 C. malabaricus were examined. Among them, 218 specimens were found to carry 243 parasites. Three pairs of isopods (one male with one female) were recorded from the host fish and each pair was attached to the tongue in the buccal cavity of the host. Another pair was also found where the male and male, female and female isopod had settled on the tongue in the buccal cavity. Gross lesions observed in the buccal cavity of infested fish showed small pin-holes in the tongue region, through which dactyls of pereopod's penetrating claws dig into the host tissues. The maximum weight loss was reported in females (5.43%) than in males (3.75%) of C. malabaricus. Due to infestation of different isopod parasites in both male and female fish, the effects on the length-weight relationship of C. malabaricus were compared. The rate of increased growth in weight in uninfested female fish was found to be higher than that of the infested. The weight gain is faster in uninfested fish than in the infested fish. CONCLUSIONS From the above mentioned observations, it is clear that the worst of fish on account of the infestation of isopods are the C. malabaricus succumbed to the attack of isopod parasites. Although, the infestation did not cause immediate death, it had affected the normal growth of the host fish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ganapathy Rameshkumar
- Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Science, Annamalai University, Parangipettai-608 502, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
McElroy EJ, de Buron I. Host Performance as a Target of Manipulation by Parasites: A Meta-Analysis. J Parasitol 2014; 100:399-410. [DOI: 10.1645/13-488.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
|
25
|
Binning SA, Barnes JI, Davies JN, Backwell PR, Keogh JS, Roche DG. Ectoparasites modify escape behaviour, but not performance, in a coral reef fish. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
26
|
Abstract
Ectoparasites can reduce individual fitness by negatively affecting behavioural, morphological and physiological traits. In fishes, there are potential costs if ectoparasites decrease streamlining, thereby directly compromising swimming performance. Few studies have examined the effects of ectoparasites on fish swimming performance and none distinguish between energetic costs imposed by changes in streamlining and effects on host physiology. The bridled monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus) is parasitized by an isopod (Anilocra nemipteri), which attaches above the eye. We show that parasitized fish have higher standard metabolic rates (SMRs), poorer aerobic capacities and lower maximum swimming speeds than non-parasitized fish. Adding a model parasite did not affect SMR, but reduced maximum swimming speed and elevated oxygen consumption rates at high speeds to levels observed in naturally parasitized fish. This demonstrates that ectoparasites create drag effects that are important at high speeds. The higher SMR of naturally parasitized fish does, however, reveal an effect of parasitism on host physiology. This effect was easily reversed: fish whose parasite was removed 24 h earlier did not differ from unparasitized fish in any performance metrics. In sum, the main cost of this ectoparasite is probably its direct effect on streamlining, reducing swimming performance at high speeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Binning
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
The effects of a parasitic copepod on the recent larval growth of a fish inhabiting rocky coasts. Parasitol Res 2012; 111:1661-71. [PMID: 22752746 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-3005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Parasites can infect larval, juvenile or adult marine fishes; however, the effects of parasites on the growth and condition of fish larvae have seldom been investigated. This study analysed the effects of a parasitic copepod on the larval growth of the Chilean triplefin Helcogrammoides chilensis (Tripterygiidae) based on the microstructure of the sagittal otoliths. Fish larvae were collected during the austral spring of 2010 off central Chile. Their body length ranged from 5.1 to 16.6 mm (2 to 57 days old). They were parasitised by a penellid larval copepod that was always externally attached to the ventral side of the fish's gut. The prevalence of the copepod ranged from 2.7% to 20.8%, with one to four parasites per fish larva. Relationships between otolith size (radius, perimeter) and larval size were equal for parasitised and unparasitised fish larvae (P > 0.05). Larval growth was also similar for unparasitised (0.21 mm/day) and parasitised fish larvae (0.19 mm/day) (P > 0.05). However, a comparison of same-aged larvae showed that the larvae with copepods were smaller in both length and estimated body volume than the larvae without copepods. The Recent Otolith Growth Index, indicated that larval H. chilensis with copepods showed a reduction in recent growth and condition compared with those without evidence of copepods (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, a higher parasite load (two vs. one pennellids) did not decrease the condition of the larval fish. The infestation of pennellids on coastal fish larvae may therefore induce an increase in the pelagic larval duration and potentially affect the settlement rates of this intertidal fish.
Collapse
|
28
|
Clague GE, Cheney KL, Goldizen AW, McCormick MI, Waldie PA, Grutter AS. Long-term cleaner fish presence affects growth of a coral reef fish. Biol Lett 2011; 7:863-5. [PMID: 21733872 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleaning behaviour is considered to be a classical example of mutualism. However, no studies, to our knowledge, have measured the benefits to clients in terms of growth. In the longest experimental study of its kind, over an 8 year period, cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus were consistently removed from seven patch reefs (61-285 m(2)) and left undisturbed on nine control reefs, and the growth and parasite load of the damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis determined. After 8 years, growth was reduced and parasitic copepod abundance was higher on fish from removal reefs compared with controls, but only in larger individuals. Behavioural observations revealed that P. moluccensis cleaned by L. dimidiatus were 27 per cent larger than nearby conspecifics. The selective cleaning by L. dimidiatus probably explains why only larger P. moluccensis individuals benefited from cleaning. This is the first demonstration, to our knowledge, that cleaners affect the growth rate of client individuals; a greater size for a given age should result in increased fecundity at a given time. The effect of the removal of so few small fish on the size of another fish species is unprecedented on coral reefs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gillian E Clague
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Waldie PA, Blomberg SP, Cheney KL, Goldizen AW, Grutter AS. Long-term effects of the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on coral reef fish communities. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21201. [PMID: 21731670 PMCID: PMC3123342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 05/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleaning behaviour is deemed a mutualism, however the benefit of cleaning interactions to client individuals is unknown. Furthermore, mechanisms that may shift fish community structure in the presence of cleaning organisms are unclear. Here we show that on patch reefs (61-285 m²) which had all cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae) experimentally removed (1-5 adults reef⁻¹) and which were then maintained cleaner-fish free over 8.5 years, individuals of two site-attached (resident) client damselfishes (Pomacentridae) were smaller compared to those on control reefs. Furthermore, resident fishes were 37% less abundant and 23% less species rich per reef, compared to control reefs. Such changes in site-attached fish may reflect lower fish growth rates and/or survivorship. Additionally, juveniles of visitors (fish likely to move between reefs) were 65% less abundant on removal reefs suggesting cleaners may also affect recruitment. This may, in part, explain the 23% lower abundance and 33% lower species richness of visitor fishes, and 66% lower abundance of visitor herbivores (Acanthuridae) on removal reefs that we also observed. This is the first study to demonstrate a benefit of cleaning behaviour to client individuals, in the form of increased size, and to elucidate potential mechanisms leading to community-wide effects on the fish population. Many of the fish groups affected may also indirectly affect other reef organisms, thus further impacting the reef community. The large-scale effect of the presence of the relatively small and uncommon fish, Labroides dimidiadus, on other fishes is unparalleled on coral reefs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Waldie
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simon P. Blomberg
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karen L. Cheney
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anne W. Goldizen
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexandra S. Grutter
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|