Parasite community of the pelagic thresher Alopias pelagicus (Lamniformes) as additional indicator of trophic network status and functioning

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 26473 - 15
• Main Authors: Santoro, Mario, Occhibove, Flavia, Cusano, Luigi Maria, Palomba, Marialetizia, Pacheco-Chaves, Bernald, Carvajal-Rodríguez, José Miguel, Monge-Amador, Monica, Rojas, Alicia, Solano-Barquero, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 21.07.2025; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158; 704/829; Abiotic factors; Alopias pelagicus; Animals; Biodiversity; Bioindicators; Eastern Pacific; Ecosystem; Female; Fishing; Food Chain; Helminths; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humanities and Social Sciences; Indicator species; Male; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Overfishing; Parasite community; Parasites; Parasites - physiology; Predators; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sharks; Sharks - parasitology; Taxonomy; Trophic levels; Trophic network stability; United States > US; Pacific Ocean; Costa Rica; Bioindicators; Trophic network stability; Eastern Pacific; Helminths; Sharks; Parasite community
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-11572-z

The majority of marine parasites are trophically transmitted, exhibiting a complex life cycle, thus, parasite communities investigation is a valuable source of information on trophic network status. Parasite communities of sharks, which have high structural importance within trophic webs, might well be included among bioindicators of trophic network functioning. Here, we present the first study on parasite communities of the pelagic thresher Alopias pelagicus , in the eastern Pacific, a highly biodiverse area, subject to the threat of overfishing. Results indicated that the parasite community exhibited greater richness, abundance, and diversity compared to those reported in other shark species and locations, suggesting that the trophic network in the area may still be resilient to anthropogenic pressures. Differences found among sex, individuals of different size, and across sampling sites with different maximum depths confirmed that both biotic and abiotic factors influence parasite communities, which are known to be sensitive to such variables. Our findings supported the use of parasite communities in high trophic level predators as reliable and effective indicators of the trophic network status, advocating for their inclusion as an additional tool in biodiversity conservation.