The Contributions of Host Age and Size to the Aggregated Distribution of Parasites in Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, from Garner Lake, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

The independent effects of host age and size on parasite abundance are examined in yellow perch from Garner Lake in east-central Alberta. Older, larger perch tend to have more species of parasites combined with larger parasite infrapopulations. Sexual size dimorphism in perch generates 2 different size classes within each age class >2+ yr, thus allowing the opportunity to separate the effects of age and size on the recruitment of parasites by perch. The abundances of Diplostomum adamsi and Bothriocephalus sp. both increase with host age, whereas the increased abundances of Crepidostomum isostomum and Raphidascaris acus in larger fish are, in part, suggestive of size-specific feeding behaviors of the host. A combination of parasites with size- and age-dependent infrapopulations results in a size-dependent increase in infracommunity size. A comparison of variance-to-mean ratios within age classes to overall variance-to-mean ratios shows that the effects of host age and size on parasite recruitment do contribute to parasite aggregation.

Infection levels of proteocephalidean cestodes inCichla piquiti(Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) of the Volta Grande Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil, relative to host body weight and gender

“…Also studying the parasitic fauna of fish from lakes, Molloy et al (1995) reported low infection by cestodes in trout, in contrast to our results. Contrary to the present results, Zelmer & Arai (1998) reported a significant increase in the plerocercoid abundance in female perch.…”

Host-parasite relationships of monogeneans in gills ofAstyanax altiparanaeandRhamdia quelenof the São Francisco Verdadeiro River, Brazil

“…This among host species difference may be attributable to physical and ecological characteristics of the hosts. Larger individuals, in this case R. quelen, may accumulate larger infrapopulations due to greater age or by feeding higher in the food web (Zelmer & Arai, 1998;Bell & Burt, 1991). Of interest here are general trends across host species, such as the potential influences of host sex and body size on infrapopulations and the relationship between infrapopulation size and host condition.…”

“…Fish standard length is a correlate of age (Shotter, 1976), and is one of the most important factors influencing parasite population sizes (Dogiel, 1961). According to Zelmer & Arai (1998), increases in parasite infrapopulation sizes are expected to increase with host age (and host length) as a result of simple accumulation. This scenario requires parasites with direct life-cycles or which use intermediate hosts whose consumption is not limited to one phase of host development.…”

Prevalence and intensity of parasitic helminths of thicklip grey mulletChelon labrosus in hosts in Beymelek Lagoon Lake in Antalya, Turkey,according to season, host size, age, and sex of the host

“…In general, there is a positive relationship between the level of parasitic infection and the size and age of the host fish (Dogiel, 1970;McKeown and Irwin, 1997;Zelmer and Arai, 1998;Aydogdu et al, 2003). In the present study, the infection prevalence and mean intensity values changed as the size and age of the fish varied.…”