Interactions among four parasite species in an amphipod population from Patagonia

Parasites commonly share their hosts with specimens of the same or different parasite species, resulting in multiple parasites obtaining resources from the same host. This could potentially lead to conflicts between co-infecting parasites, especially at high infection intensities. In Pool Los Juncos (Patagonia, Argentina), the amphipod Hyalella patagonica is an intermediate host to three parasites that mature in birds (the acanthocephalan Pseudocorynosoma sp. and larval stages of two Cyclophyllidea cestodes), in addition to a microsporidian (Thelohania sp.), whose life cycle is unknown, but very likely to be monoxenous. The aim of this study was to describe interactions between these parasite species in their amphipod host population. Amphipods were collected monthly between June 2002 and January 2004 to assess parasite infection. Infection prevalence and mean intensity were greatest in larger male amphipods for all parasite species. We also found a positive association between Thelohania sp. and both Pseudocorynosoma sp. and Cyclophyllidea sp. 1 infections, though Pseudocorynosoma sp. and Cyclophyllidea sp. 1 were negatively associated with each other. We conclude that contrasting associations between parasite species may be associated with competition for both food intake and space in the haemocoel.