Cestodes change the isotopic signature of brine shrimp, Artemia, hosts: Implications for aquatic food webs

Sánchez, Marta I.; Varo, Nico; Matesanz, Cristina Monteserín; Ramo, Cristina; Amat, Juan A.; Green, Andy J.

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.11.003

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 70 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Infected brine shrimps exhibit enhanced swarming propensity that may also increase the probability for transmission by predation (Rode et al 2013). Isotopic studies indicate that cysticercoid infections can change the selective utilisation of trophic resources by native brine shrimps (Sánchez et al 2013a). Furthermore, cestode larvae reduce the fecundity of the infected Artemia (Amat et al 1991a;Sánchez et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larval helminths in the invasive American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana throughout its annual cycle

Georgiev

Angelov

Vasileva

et al. 2014

Acta Parasitologica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

One of the best examples of rapid displacement of native species by an invader is the eradication of native Artemia salina and A. parthenogenetica in the Mediterranean by the introduced American A. franciscana. Previous studies based on sampling from limited time periods suggest that the success of the American species as a competitor may be due partly to different parasite burden, since native Artemia spp. have high cestode infection rates regulating their density. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that the helminth infection in A. franciscana in its invasive range is low throughout its annual life cycle. Samples of A. franciscana were collected every second month from La Tapa saltern (Andalusia) during one year. Five helminth species were recorded: cestodes Flamingolepis liguloides, F. flamingo, Gynandrotaenia stammeri (all flamingo parasites), Eurycestus avoceti (a shorebird parasite) and larval spirurids of the Acuariinae (the first record of nematodes in Artemia). The overall infection rate was low, with total prevalence 5.9% and prevalence of individual parasite species between 0.2 and 3.2%. The mean abundance of helminths was 0.005-0.155 (av. 0.068), 5-13 times lower than in native congeners. Waterbird counts indicate that the low infection rates cannot be explained by lack of definitive hosts. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that helminths have no regulating effect on the invasive brine shrimp in the Mediterranean. The replacement of the native populations by the invader can be partially explained by a competition mediated by parasites/predators through a differential impact on host fitness.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larval helminths in the invasive American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana throughout its annual cycle

Georgiev

Angelov

Vasileva

et al. 2014

Acta Parasitologica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Artemia are generalist grazers and consume a variety of protists and bacterioplankton, so by decreasing feeding rate, cestodes may reduce the ingestion of particulate organic matter (POM, see also Sánchez et al . [10]) which contribute to turbidity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, our laboratory experiments are too simplistic to predict these effects in detail, especially since FL and other cestodes also change the vertical distribution of A . parthenogenetica in the water column and therefore their diet, as indicated by stable isotopes [10]. Indeed, it is possible that infection by FL has different effects on the ingestion per capita of chlorophyll- a and POM in the field, since infection increases the time spent near the water surface where phytoplankton are likely to be concentrated and decreases the time spent at the bottom of the water column were POM may reach higher concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The brine shrimps Artemia spp. (Crustacea: Anostraca), the dominant macrozooplankton in hypersaline ecosystems, are non-selective filter feeders [5,6] able to control phytoplankton density [7–9] but also feeding on other microbes and detritus [9,10]. Their grazing rates are influenced by particle size [11], food concentration [6,12] and food type [6–13], but no previous information exists on the effect of biotic factors such as parasites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example high levels of carotenoids observed in Artemia infected by some cestode parasites may be the consequence of increased feeding on carotenoid-rich algae. Parasites also induce surface and photophilic behavior, and so influence the diet [10], and even increase resistance of Artemia to arsenic poisoning [32]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Functional Role of Native and Invasive Filter-Feeders, and the Effect of Parasites: Learning from Hypersaline Ecosystems

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Filter-feeding organisms are often keystone species with a major influence on the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. Studies of filtering rates in such taxa are therefore vital in order to understand ecosystem functioning and the impact of natural and anthropogenic stressors such as parasites, climate warming and invasive species. Brine shrimps Artemia spp. are the dominant grazers in hypersaline systems and are a good example of such keystone taxa. Hypersaline ecosystems are relatively simplified environments compared with much more complex freshwater and marine ecosystems, making them suitable model systems to address these questions. The aim of this study was to compare feeding rates at different salinities and temperatures between clonal A. parthenogenetica (native to Eurasia and Africa) and the invasive American brine shrimp A. franciscana, which is excluding native Artemia from many localities. We considered how differences observed in laboratory experiments upscale at the ecosystem level across both spatial and temporal scales (as indicated by chlorophyll-a concentration and turbidity). In laboratory experiments, feeding rates increased at higher temperatures and salinities in both Artemia species and sexes, whilst A. franciscana consistently fed at higher rates. A field study of temporal dynamics revealed significantly higher concentrations of chlorophyll-a in sites occupied by A. parthenogenetica, supporting our experimental findings. Artemia parthenogenetica density and biomass were negatively correlated with chlorophyll-a concentration at the spatial scale. We also tested the effect of cestode parasites, which are highly prevalent in native Artemia but much rarer in the invasive species. The cestodes Flamingolepis liguloides and Anomotaenia tringae decreased feeding rates in native Artemia, whilst Confluaria podicipina had no significant effect. Total parasite prevalence was positively correlated with turbidity. Overall, parasites are likely to reduce feeding rates in the field, and their negative impact on host fecundity is likely to exacerbate the difference between grazing rates of native and alien Artemia populations at the ecosystem level. The results of this study provide evidence for the first time that the replacement of native Artemia by A. franciscana may have major consequences for the functioning of hypersaline ecosystems. The strong effect of parasites on feeding rate underlines the importance of taking parasites into account in order to improve our understanding of the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

show abstract

High prevalence of cestodes in Artemia spp. throughout the annual cycle: relationship with abundance of avian final hosts

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Brine shrimp, Artemia spp., act as intermediate hosts for a range of cestode species that use waterbirds as their final hosts. These parasites can have marked influences on shrimp behavior and fecundity, generating the potential for cascading effects in hypersaline food webs. We present the first comprehensive study of the temporal dynamics of cestode parasites in natural populations of brine shrimp throughout the annual cycle. Over a 12-month period, clonal Artemia parthenogenetica were sampled in the Odiel marshes in Huelva, and the sexual Artemia salina was sampled in the Salinas de Cerrillos in Almería. Throughout the year, 4-45 % of A. parthenogenetica were infected with cestodes (mean species richness = 0.26), compared to 27-72 % of A. salina (mean species richness = 0.64). Ten cestode species were recorded. Male and female A. salina showed similar levels of parasitism. The most prevalent and abundant cestodes were those infecting the most abundant final hosts, especially the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. In particular, the flamingo parasite Flamingolepis liguloides had a prevalence of up to 43 % in A. parthenogenetica and 63.5 % in A. salina in a given month. Although there was strong seasonal variation in prevalence, abundance, and intensity of cestode infections, seasonal changes in bird counts were weak predictors of the dynamics of cestode infections. However, infection levels of Confluaria podicipina in A. parthenogenetica were positively correlated with the number of their black-necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis hosts. Similarly, infection levels of Anomotaenia tringae and Anomotaenia microphallos in A. salina were correlated with the number of shorebird hosts present the month before. Correlated seasonal transmission structured the cestode community, leading to more multiple infections than expected by chance.

show abstract

Cestodes change the isotopic signature of brine shrimp, Artemia, hosts: Implications for aquatic food webs

Abstract: 28To reach the final host (greater flamingos), the cestode

Cited by 24 publications

References 70 publications

Larval helminths in the invasive American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana throughout its annual cycle

Larval helminths in the invasive American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana throughout its annual cycle

Functional Role of Native and Invasive Filter-Feeders, and the Effect of Parasites: Learning from Hypersaline Ecosystems

High prevalence of cestodes in Artemia spp. throughout the annual cycle: relationship with abundance of avian final hosts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About