The carotenoid pigments of six species of adult acanthocephala

Barrett, John; Butterworth, Penelope E.

doi:10.1007/bf01944752

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…However, amphipods infected with trematodes also show partial castration ( Thomas et al 1995), although trematodes do not store carotenoids. It has also been suggested that carotenoids may provide protection to cystacanths against UV radiation and oxidative damage (Barrett & Butterworth 1973;Bakker et al 1997), although direct evidence is lacking. This hypothesis might be particularly relevant for acanthocephalan species in that, through manipulating their host behaviour to make them more vulnerable to predation by appropriate definitive hosts (Cézilly et al 2000;Moore 2002), become more exposed to UV radiation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both behavioural alterations are likely to result in increased exposition of both hosts and parasites to UV radiation. However, although the biological actions and functions of carotenoids depend upon their chemical and physical properties (Britton 1995), little is known about the variation in pigmentation among acanthocephalan parasite species, particularly between species that differ in definitive hosts and ability to manipulate the phenotype of their intermediate host (see, however, Barrett & Butterworth 1973;Gaillard et al 2004). The identification of the carotenoid content of cystacanths is thus a prerequisite to understanding the adaptive significance of acanthocephalan colorations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

et al. 2008

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Manipulation by parasites is a catchy concept that has been applied to a large range of phenotypic alterations brought about by parasites in their hosts. It has, for instance, been suggested that the carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths is adaptive through increasing the conspicuousness of infected intermediate hosts and, hence, their vulnerability to appropriate final hosts such as fish predators. We revisited the evidence in favour of adaptive coloration of acanthocephalan parasites in relation to increased trophic transmission using the crustacean amphipod Gammarus pulex and two species of acanthocephalans, Pomphorhynchus laevis and Polymorphus minutus. Both species show carotenoid-based colorations, but rely, respectively, on freshwater fish and aquatic bird species as final hosts. In addition, the two parasites differ in the type of behavioural alteration brought to their common intermediate host.Pomphorhynchus laevis reverses negative phototaxis in G. pulex, whereas P. minutus reverses positive geotaxis. In aquaria, trout showed selective predation for P. laevis-infected gammarids, whereas P. minutusinfected ones did not differ from uninfected controls in their vulnerability to predation. We tested for an effect of parasite coloration on increased trophic transmission by painting a yellow-orange spot on the cuticle of uninfected gammarids and by masking the yellow-orange spot of infected individuals with inconspicuous brown paint. To enhance realism, match of colour between painted mimics and true parasite was carefully checked using a spectrometer. We found no evidence for a role of parasite coloration in the increased vulnerability of gammarids to predation by trout. Painted mimics did not differ from control uninfected gammarids in their vulnerability to predation by trout. In addition, covering the place through which the parasite was visible did not reduce the vulnerability of infected gammarids to predation by trout. We discuss alternative evolutionary explanations for the origin and maintenance of carotenoidbased colorations in acanthocephalan parasites.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

et al. 2008

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“…Comparing our results with those of the previous authors, the present work shows the smaller prevalence and a similar mean intensity of infection than those reported by these authors. Body pigmentation in acanthocephalans has been reported by several authors, among them BARRETT & BUTTERWORTH (1973), who extracted lutein, ß-carotene, and esterefied astaxanthin from six species in archiacanthocephalans, palaeacanthocephalans, and eoacanthocephalans, but is has not been reported for species of Andracantha.…”

Section: Figs 1-9mentioning

confidence: 96%

A new species of Andracantha Schmidt (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) parasite of Neotropical cormorants, Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Gmelin) (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) from southern Brazil

Monteiro¹,

Amato

2006

Rev. Bras. Zool.

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A new species of the genus Andracantha Schmidt, 1975, parasite of Neotropical cormorants, Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Gmelin, 1789), is described and compared to the other six species currently placed in the genus. The new species differs from the previously known species of Andracantha by having two inflations in the anterior region of the trunk and by having the testes in tandem in the central region of the body. These differences were also responsible for the diagnosis emendation of the genus now proposed. The orange pigmentation of the acanthocephalans recently collected from the intestine is documented for the first time in a species of this genus. This is the first record of adult specimens of any species of Andracantha in South America.

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“…To date the presence of carotenoids in representatives of the Nemathelminthes type had not been studied, there are however papers on the carotenoid content of flat worms, (trematodes and the tapeworm) (Czeczuga, , I974, 1975(Czeczuga, , 1977b and of Acanthocephalus and Annelides (Barret and Butterworth, 1973;Czeczuga, 1971, I977a;Dales, I962;Lee et al, 967).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presence of carotenoids in Gordius aquaticus (Nematomorpha, Nemathelminthes) specimens from deep wells

Czeczuga

1981

Hydrobiologia

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The carotenoid pigments of six species of adult acanthocephala

Cited by 11 publications

References 14 publications

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

A new species of Andracantha Schmidt (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) parasite of Neotropical cormorants, Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Gmelin) (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) from southern Brazil

Presence of carotenoids in Gordius aquaticus (Nematomorpha, Nemathelminthes) specimens from deep wells

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