Conspecific migration and environmental setting determine parasite infracommunities of non-migratory individual fish

Rochat, Eloïse C.; Brodersen, Jakob; Blasco‐Costa, Isabel

doi:10.1017/s0031182021000780

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 69 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Host mobility includes two components: host movement over large areas and between different habitats (migration), and local movement over small areas (Kennedy et al, 1986). Fish migratory patterns have the potential to influence parasite acquisition, as fish moving between different habitats are likely to encounter different parasites associated with different fish species (Paterson et al, 2012; Rochat et al, 2021). Although migration is not a determinant of species composition and the similarity of parasitic infracommunities, host mobility may be closely associated with diets, such as geographic distribution and prey availability (Kennedy et al, 1986).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The functional traits of host fish can act as good predictors for parasite composition in a neotropical floodplain

Lehun,

Muniz,

Silva

et al. 2023

Journal of Fish Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Parasite diversity can be influenced by the interaction of environmental factors and host traits, however, understanding which traits can be decisive for the establishment of the parasite can provide subsidies for a better understanding of the parasite‐host relationship. In this study, we investigated whether functional traits, diet, and host phylogeny can predict the similarity of endoparasite composition of a fish assemblage in a Brazilian floodplain. Of the three evaluated components, the host's diet was the factor that presented the greatest influence on the composition and similarity of endoparasites, demonstrating the highest percentage of explanation. The functional traits and phylogeny, despite presenting significant values (unique effect and global effect), demonstrated low explainability in the composition of endoparasites. When analyzing the joint effects, all components showed significant influences. Hosts that live in the same environment that are phylogenetically related and that have a similar ecology, have a certain degree of homogeneity in their parasite assemblages and, because they are endoparasites (which are acquired trophically along the chain), diet is the main driver of parasite richness and similarity. Overall, host traits can be one of the main determinants of parasite composition, so studies that address the functional traits of the host provide a representation of local diversity and define the possible patterns of these parasite communities.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

show abstract