A link between immunocompetence of chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.) and parasitism
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Proceedings of the Thirteenth Helminthological Days held at Ředkovec (Czech Republic). Helminthologia 42(3): 171-186. |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | Immunocompetence -parasitism - freshwater fish |
| Description | The role of immune function is recently widely investigated in the context of trade-off between the different life-history traits. Each potential host is exposed to variety of parasites that may negatively influence its viability, and then the host must develop a performing immune system in order to generate the resistance towards the parasites and to reduce the fitness losses caused by parasitism. Therefore, we hypothesized and tested a link between fish immunocompetence and parasitism. We performed the investigation of chub parasitofauna from one locality of Svitava River in four seasonal samples (spring, early summer, late summer and autumn) during 2004. Several measures connected fish immunocompetence and physiological status were selected and measured: blood cell counts, hematocrit, leucocrit, phagocyte activity and spleen size. We tested the seasonal changes in those parameters. Parasite communities of all seasonal fish samples were analysed. The total parasite species richness varied from 17 to 20 per sample. The highest parasite diversity was recorded in the first sample (Shannon index diversity). Monogenea were the group with the highest prevalence and mean abundance in all samples. Digenea were the second abundant group in all samples. The high values of prevalence but low mean abundance were recorded for Acanthocephala in the first and third samples (spring and later summer). The positive correlation between spontaneous and activated phagocyte activity was found in the majority of fish in all samples. The statistical significant differences were found among seasonal samples for the groups Monogenea and Mollusca being more abundant in spring, Cestoda being more abundant in early summer and Acanthocephala being more abundant in autumn. Infracommunity metazoan parasite species richness was significantly higher in spring sample. Moreover, we found significantly higher numbers of protozoan Myxobolus spp. in autumn sample. The analyses of immunocompetence revealed that spleen size is higher in autumn sample. Measures connected with phagocyte activity were higher in late summer or autumn samples. Special types of neutrophils were found in significantly higher numbers in the spring samples. The results indicated the potential connection between fish immunocompetence and parasitism. |
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