Occurrence of metazoan parasites in Neogobius kessleri and N. melanostomus in the longitudinal profile of the River Danube
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Danube.River.Life 36th International Conference International Association for Danube Research, Book of Abstracts |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Ecology |
| Keywords | parasites; Gobiidae; Danube |
| Description | Metazoan parasites of N. kessleri and N. melanostomus were observed in four stretches of the River Danube: Bulgarian (native), Croatian, Slovak and Austrian (non-native area of distribution). Parasite species richness was higher in N. kessleri – 23 species compare to 17 species in N. melanostomus. Structure of parasite community did not differ among sampling sites in both fish hosts. Pomphorhynchus laevis (Acanthocephala) and glochidia of Anodonta anatina were the dominant parasite species with highest abundances and prevalences in all assemblages. Total parasite abundance was higher in N. kessleri, but did not significantly differ among localities. In N. melanostomus, parasite abundance was the lowest in Slovak population, but Bulgarian and Austrian populations did not differ. All parasite species found in non-native areas are common parasites occurring in Danubean fishes. No Neogobius specific parasites (with the exception of Gyrodactylus spp.) were found. The importance of introduced fishes for spread of various non-native parasites in Danube was registered. Four non-native parasites used gobies as their hosts: larval nematode Anguillicola crassus and glochidia of Anodonta woodiana infected both goby species, acarid Hydrozetes lacustris infected N. kessleri and crustacean Caligus sp. infected N. melanostomus. |
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