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Experimental test of host specificity in a behaviour-modifying trematode.
R N Hernandez1, B L Fredensborg2
1Department of Biology and Center for Subtropical Studies,The University of Texas-Pan American,1201 W University Drive,Edinburg,Texas 78539,USA.
Parasitology
|September 24, 2015
Summary
Parasitic manipulation of host behavior is common, but specificity is unclear. This study found that the trematode Euhaplorchis sp. A infects and alters behavior in fish from different families, suggesting ecological factors, not just relatedness, shape host range.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Parasites commonly manipulate host behavior, but the specificity of this manipulation is poorly understood.
- Experimental verification of host specificity in manipulating parasites is rare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if parasite infection and behavioral manipulation are restricted to closely related fish hosts.
- To investigate the host range and specificity of the brain-encysting trematode Euhaplorchis sp. A.
Main Methods:
- Examined natural infections of Euhaplorchis sp. A in wild cyprinid fish.
- Experimentally exposed three fish species with varying taxonomic relatedness to a known host.
- Assessed infection susceptibility and behavioral changes in experimentally infected fish.
Main Results:
- Natural infections of Euhaplorchis sp. A were found in three cyprinid species.
- Experimentally, Fundulus grandis and Poecilia latipinna were infected.
- Infected fish exhibited increased conspicuous behaviors compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Euhaplorchis sp. A can infect and manipulate fish from two different families.
- Ecological similarity, rather than close genetic relatedness, appears to determine the host range of this parasite.
