Digenean parasites of the bivalve mollusc Pisidium amnicum in a small river in eastern Finland

The host-parasite relationship between digeneans and a semelparous population of the mollusc. Pisidium amnicum Müller in a small river in eastern Finland was studied during 1992/1993. The parasite prevalence of the population was high. The total prevalence was 45.6% in 1992 (n = 790) and 47.5% in 19...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diseases of aquatic organisms 1998-07, Vol.33 (3), p.201-208
Main Authors: RANTANEN, J. T, VALTONEN, E. T, HOLOPAINEN, I. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Bivalvia - parasitology
Bivalvia - physiology
Bunodera luciopercae
Disease Vectors
Finland
Fish Diseases - transmission
Fresh Water
Fresh water ecosystems
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Palaeorchis crassus
Perches
Perciformes
Phyllodistomum elongatum
Pisidium amnicum
Synecology
Trematoda - physiology
Trematode Infections - transmission
Trematode Infections - veterinary
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Summary:The host-parasite relationship between digeneans and a semelparous population of the mollusc. Pisidium amnicum Müller in a small river in eastern Finland was studied during 1992/1993. The parasite prevalence of the population was high. The total prevalence was 45.6% in 1992 (n = 790) and 47.5% in 1993 (n = 160). The dominant digenean, Bunodera luciopercae (34.2% in 1992, 35.0% in 1993), had highest prevalences in July/August and in winter. Two other species, Palaeorchis crassus (7.8% in 1992, 7.5% in 1993) and Phyllodistomum elongatum (4.7% and 5.0%), were rare during the winter. The prevalence of B. luciopercae increased as clams aged, while the other species were most common in middle-sized clams. Apparently B. luciopercae rediae dominate over P. elongatum, which has only sporocyst stages, while P. crassus, which has large rediae, is more deleterious to the clam and induces host mortality. Double infections were significantly less common (1.2%) than might be expected by chance. All parasites castrated their hosts; no clam containing both parasites and embryos was found. Semelparity of the population is apparently caused by parasitic castration.
ISSN:0177-5103
1616-1580
DOI:10.3354/dao033201