Malformations of the gill filaments of the ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus (L.) (Pisces) caused by echinostomatid metacercariae

In parasite surveys of fishes from Lake Balaton and its tributaries in Hungary, infections with metacercariae of a species of the digenean genus Echinochasmus (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) were found in seven species of fish. In ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernuus, malformations of the gill filaments appar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish diseases 2016-11, Vol.39 (11), p.1357-1367
Main Authors: Molnár, K, Gibson, D I, Majoros, G, Székely, C, Sándor, D, Cech, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cercaria
Digenea
Echinochasmus
Echinostomatidae
Echinostomatidae - genetics
Echinostomatidae - growth & development
Echinostomatidae - physiology
Fish Diseases - parasitology
Fish Diseases - pathology
gill filaments
Gills - abnormalities
Gills - parasitology
Gymnocephalus cernua
Gymnocephalus cernuus
ITS region
Lithoglyphus naticoides
malformation
Marine
Metacercariae - genetics
Metacercariae - growth & development
Metacercariae - physiology
Perches
Phylogeny
RNA, Helminth - genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA - veterinary
Trematoda
Trematode Infections - parasitology
Trematode Infections - pathology
Trematode Infections - veterinary
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Description
Summary:In parasite surveys of fishes from Lake Balaton and its tributaries in Hungary, infections with metacercariae of a species of the digenean genus Echinochasmus (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) were found in seven species of fish. In ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernuus, malformations of the gill filaments apparently caused by these infections were observed. These malformations were in the form of bifurcations of the filaments at about their mid‐length. At the point where the filaments bifurcate, an Echinochasmus metacercaria was always embedded in the cartilaginous ray of the gill filament. All specimens of the ruffe were found to be infected by these metacercariae, and each ruffe specimen was infected by 30–300 metacercariae. Such a bifurcation was found in all of the ruffe specimens, but, apart from these gill malformations, the metacercariae produced only local changes in the cartilage. In the other six infected fish species, only local signs were observed in the cartilage. Experimental infections of chicks with metacercariae resulted in the finding of the sexual adult (marita) of an unidentified species of Echinochasmus. ITS sequences of the adult and metacercaria corresponded with each other, and also with a cercaria isolated from a gravel snail (Lithoglyphus naticoides), with a 99.5–100% similarity.
ISSN:0140-7775
1365-2761
DOI:10.1111/jfd.12469