The relationship between the developmental instability of a fish host and the ectoparasite Paradiplozoon homoion
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Book of Abstracts, 5th International Symposium on Monogenea |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | developmental instability;parasite;gudgeon |
| Description | We have analysed the relationship between developmental instability of a fish host gudgeon Gobio gobio L. (measured by levels of fluctuating asymmetry FA) and the abundance and developmental instability (measured as the presence of abnormally developed attachment system) of the ectoparasite Paradiplozoon homoion. FA refers to random deviation from perfect bilateral symmetry, with no genetic predisposition toward one side or the other being large and it is a putative general biomarker of environmental stress and can be used to indicate the possible presence of a stress or different stresses acting in combination. There is also evidence that increased FA is associated with susceptibility to parasitism. Gudgeon individuals were collected monthly from the Vlara stream (Czech Republic) during 2004 and examined for the presence of the ectoparasite P. homoion. To assess an estimate of developmental instability of the fish host we measured nine meristic and eight morphometric bilateral characters on the right and the left side of the fish. There was no correlation between fish FA and the number of P. homoion or the proportion of P. homoion with abnormalities. There was, however, a significant relationship between number of abnormal P. homoion and the number of asymmetric meristic traits per individual fish. This study thus indicates that the presence of morphological abnormalities in P. homoion is only weakly dependent on the fish quality measured by FA. |
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