Riverine fish are subjected to heterogeneous flow velocities and turbulence and may use this to their advantage by selecting regions that balance energy expenditure for station holding while maximizing energy gain through feeding opportunities. This study investigated microhabitat selection by guppies Poecilia reticulata in terms of flow characteristics generated by hemisphere boulders in an open channel flume. Velocity and turbulence influenced the variation in swimming behaviour with respect to size, sex and parasite intensity. With increasing body length, fish swam further and more frequently between boulder regions. Larger guppies spent more time in the areas of high-velocity and low-turbulence regions beside the boulders, whereas smaller guppies frequented the low-velocity and high-turbulence regions directly behind the boulders. Male guppies selected the regions of low velocity, indicating possible reduced swimming ability owing to hydrodynamic drag imposed by their fins. With increasing Gyrodactylus turnbulli burden, fish spent more time in regions with moderate velocity and lowest turbulent kinetic energy which were the most spatially and temporally homogeneous in terms of velocity and turbulence. These findings highlight the importance of heterogeneous flow conditions in river channel design owing to the behavioural variability within a species in response to velocity and turbulence.

A survey of pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus from a stillwater fishery in southern England revealed infections by the ancyrocephalid monogenean Onchocleidus dispar at 100% prevalence. Host specificity of O. dispar to North American centrarchid fish suggests that it is a non-native parasite, introduced to Britain with L. gibbosus. Mean intensity of O. dispar was significantly higher in male (25.5 parasites) compared to female (15) and immature (7) hosts, but was not influenced by host standard length or sampling time. This sex-biased parasitism is likely to be related to both ecological and physiological factors, such as differential exposure to infective stages during nest building, or higher susceptibility to infection due to enhanced host stress levels. O. dispar significantly dominated the external surfaces and the outer gill arches. Analysis of the spatial distribution of the parasite between the 9 regions of gill surface determined that as density increased, higher numbers of parasites were found on the anterior and central gill regions compared to posterior (distal) regions. Apparent microhabitat selection is discussed in terms O. dispar lifecycle, maximising oxygen availability, avoiding unstable areas and increasing intraspecific contact. The absence of O. dispar in the gills of roach, rudd and gudgeon sampled from the same fishery supports the assumption that this parasite is currently of little threat to native fish populations. KEY WORDS: Lepomis gibbosus · Monogenean · Microhabitat · Exotic species · Sex-biased parasitism Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 97: [65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73] 2011 of North America (Hoffman 1999, Collins & Janovy 2003. Due to a general paucity of data on parasites from non-native fish in Britain and limited understanding of this monogenean in L. gibbosus, the current study was undertaken to confirm identification and establish the preference of O. dispar in terms of host sex, size and gill microhabitat. This study represents the first description of the parasite fauna of L. gibbosus in Britain. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fish samplingAn initial sample of 39 Lepomis gibbosus was obtained for parasitological examination from a fully enclosed stillwater fishery (coarse fishing lake) in southwest England in February 2008. The lake is 1.8 ha, with an average depth of 1.5 m, and has no inflow or outflow. All fish were captured by means of seine netting and transported live to holding facilities at the Environment Agency, Brampton. Following the detection of Onchocleidus dispar within these fish, an additional sample of native fish species was obtained in the same month. This sample consisted of 18 roach Rutilus rutilus, 10 gudgeon Gobio gobio and 11 rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus, which were screened only for the presence of O. dispar. A further 85 L. gibbosus were netted in October 2008 and February 2009. Fish caught in October were killed on site by anaesthetic overdose using benzocaine solution, and immed...

The effect of Anguillicola crassus, Pseudodactylogyrus bini and Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae infection on the behaviour of downstream migrating adult European eels Anguilla anguilla as they encountered accelerating water velocity, common at engineered structures where flow is constricted (e.g. weirs and bypass systems), was evaluated in an experimental flume. The probability of reacting to, and rejecting, the velocity gradient was positively related to A. crassus larval, adult and total abundance. High abundance of Pseudodactylogyrus spp. reduced this effect, but A. crassus was the strongest parasitic factor associated with fish behaviour, and abundance was positively related to delay in downstream passage. Delayed downstream migration at hydraulic gradients associated with riverine anthropogenic structures could result in additional energetic expenditure for migrating A. anguilla already challenged by A. crassus infection.

A full histological survey of 782 non-indigenous crayfish established in riverine habitats or imported into mainland Britain through the aquarium trade was conducted. The selected populations were subjected to further bacteriological, molecular and ultrastructural studies to characterise disease conditions. Pacifastacus leniusculus, Orconectes virilis and Astacus leptodactylus were obtained from 16 rivers in mainland Britain. Additionally, Cambarellus patzcuarensis, Cherax quadricarinatus, Procambarus clarkii and P. fallax were obtained from 8 pet shops, whilst C. patzcuarensis, Cherax peknyi, C. quadricarinatus and P. clarkii were seized at a point of entry into Britain. Tests for infections were negative in the majority of P. leniusculus (66.4%); the rest were infected with at least one pathogen or commensal, including an intranuclear bacilliform virus and a novel Spiroplasma sp. of male Sertoli cells. Low level bacterial and ciliate infections and commensal mites and ostracods also occurred on or in established signal crayfish. The established population of O. virilis was found to be negative for any visible infections; one shipment of P. clarkii and one aquarium-held population of C. quadricarinatus were also found to contain no visible infections. One shipment of P. clarkii from Singapore was infected with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The bacterial species isolated from crayfish included Aero monas hydrophila, A. sobria, Citrobacter freundii, Grimontia hollisae, Hafnia alvei, Pasteurella multocida and Weeksella virosa. The results are discussed in relation to the enemy release hypothesis, and the risk associated with the transboundary trade in non-indigenous crayfish is considered as a potential source of disease to native crayfish species.

Group living in fish can provide benefits of protection from predators and some parasites, more efficient foraging for food, increased mating opportunities and enhanced energetic benefit when swimming. For riverine species, shoaling behaviour can be influenced by various environmental stressors, yet little is known how flow rate might influence the shoaling of diseased fish shoals. In view of the increasingly unpredictable flow rates in streams and rivers, this study aimed to assess the combined effect of flow condition and parasitism on the shoaling behaviour of a model fish species. Shoal size, shoal cohesion and time spent shoaling of female guppies Poecilia reticulata were compared when infected with the directly transmitted ectoparasite Gyrodactylus turnbulli under flow and static conditions. Flow condition was an important factor in influencing shoaling behaviour of guppies with the fish forming larger shoals in the absence of flow. When a shoal member was infected with G. turnbulli, shoal cohesion was reduced, but the magnitude of this effect was dependent on flow condition. In both flow and static conditions, bigger fish formed larger shoals than smaller counterparts. Future changes to stream hydrology with more frequent flooding and drought events will affect the shoaling tendency of fish. During high-flow events, diseased fish may not be able to keep up with shoal mates and therefore have a higher risk of predation. Additionally, these findings may be important for aquaria and farmed species where an increase in flow rate may reduce aggregation in fish.

Many freshwater habitats are subject to change through time. Specifically, natural flow regimes are substantially modified by not only seasonal climatic change, but also anthropogenic activity. Consequently, freshwater organisms are exposed to variable flow, potentially altering their behaviour and subsequently parasite transmission amongst social hosts. Here, we investigate the effects of flow conditions on the shoaling behaviour of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), and the resulting transmission of a directly transmitted ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus turnbulli. Shoals exposed to continuous flow exhibited significantly greater G. turnbulli peak intensities and abundance when compared to fish subjected to interrupted, but not no-flow conditions. Parasite transmission rate was greater in shoals exposed to interrupted flow, resulting in parasites becoming more distributed amongst shoal members and thus reducing mean intensity in comparison to continuous flow shoals. Furthermore, as prevalence increased, the distance between shoaling conspecifics increased at greater rates in interrupted and no-flow conditions compared to continuous flow: indicating that in the absence of flowing water, parasitism has a greater effect on shoaling decisions. This data highlights how fish behaviourally respond to variable flow conditions and the implications for parasite transmission.

No abstract

The perennial red macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss has recently been introduced to the Baltic Sea and is a potential competitor to Fucus vesiculosus, the most common native perennial alga in large parts of the Baltic Sea. Gracilaria might interfere with Fucus through direct competition for resources. In addition, Gracilaria is a favoured refuge for mesograzers, which prefer to feed on Fucus. Mesocosm-experiments were conducted over one year in the Kiel Fjord in order to test the direct and indirect effects of Gracilaria on Fucus. Fucus was incubated with Gracilaria at three different densities and grazers in high or low abundances. High densities of Gracilaria inhibited the growth of Fucus adults and also reduced the half-life-time of Fucus germlings. Associated grazers also had a negative effect on Fucus adults. Our results suggest that Gracilaria is able to influence Fucus in the Baltic Sea through direct competition for resources and by exposing it to higher grazer pressure.