Ecology of Clinostomum complanatum Rudolphi, 1814 (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) infecting fish from the floodplain of the high Paraná River, Brazil

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 675 - 681
• Main Authors: DIAS, M. L. G. G, MINTE-VERA, C. V, EIRAS, J. C, MACHADO, M. H, SOUZA, G. T. R, PAVANELLI, G. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.11.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Brazil - epidemiology; Clinostomum complanatum; Digenea; Ecosystem; Female; Fish Diseases - epidemiology; Fish Diseases - parasitology; Fishes - growth & development; Fishes - parasitology; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Galeatus; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Hoplosternum littorale; Host-Parasite Interactions; Invertebrates; Loricariichthys platymetopon; Male; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Parauchenipterus galeatus; Prevalence; Rivers; Seasons; Trematoda; Trematoda - physiology; Trematode Infections - epidemiology; Trematode Infections - parasitology; Trematode Infections - veterinary; South America; Brazil; America; Argentina, Buenos Aires, Parana R; Freshwater environment; Vertebrata; Pisces; Helmintha; Plathelmintha; Parasite; Stream; Invertebrata; Trematoda
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-006-0205-0

The prevalence of Clinostomum complanatum Rudolphi, 1814 (Digenea, Clinostomidae) in fishes Loricariichthys platymetopon, Parauchenipterus galeatus and Hoplosternum littorale, which are second intermediate hosts, was studied at the floodplain of the high Paraná River, Brazil. Season (alternation flood-drought), habitat (lentic and semi-lotic), and sex were not related to its prevalence. For L. platymetopon, the immature and smaller fish had the lowest prevalence, whilst the opposite was observed for P. galeatus and H. littorale. This suggests that the probability of being predated is unchanged by parasitism for L. platymetopon; thus, a cumulative effect of repeated infections is observed; for the two other species, the highest parasitised fish may have higher predation mortality rates. While H. littorale is the preferred item in birds' diet, L. platymetopon is the most abundant fish species and has the highest C. complanatum prevalence, which makes it the most likely path of transmission to the bird, the definitive hosts of C. complanatum.