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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Experimental evidence that host choice by parasites is age-dependent in a fish-monogenean system

Full text
Author(s):
Wunderlich, Alison [1] ; Simioni, Willian [1] ; Zica, Erica [1] ; Siqueira, Tadeu [1]
Total Authors: 4
Affiliation:
[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, Dept Biodivers, Inst Biosci, Av 24 A, 1515 Jardim Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: Parasitology Research; v. 121, n. 1 NOV 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Host age is known to influence the risk of parasite infection, but there is very little experimental evidence on whether parasites show preference towards potential hosts of a specific age. To investigate how host age affects host choice by parasites, we used the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as a fish parasite model and manipulated its gill ectoparasitic monogeneans in mesocosm experiments. Our experimental setting combined three age classes (juvenile, subadult, and adult) of both infected donor hosts and uninfected potential target hosts assigned to each treatment. We predicted that adult target hosts would be more susceptible to parasites than juveniles and adults because they represent high-quality habitat patches. Contrary to our prediction, we found that subadults were more susceptible to parasites than juvenile and adult target hosts. Our models confirmed that variation in target host age influenced parasite choice, suggesting that subadults might represent the most favourable option for parasites regarding a balance between host quality and susceptibility. We provide experimental evidence that host choice by parasites is age-dependent, and that this life-history trait can play a major role in structuring parasite populations. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 19/04033-7 - Metacommunity persistence in highly-variable ecosystems
Grantee:Tadeu de Siqueira Barros
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
FAPESP's process: 17/16650-5 - Mechanisms responsible for assembly of aquatic communities by condition-dependent dispersal
Grantee:Alison Carlos Wunderlich
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral