Are similar the parasite communities structure ofTrachelyopterus coriaceus and Trachelyopterus galeatus (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) in the Amazon basin?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the parasite communities in two sympatric host populations, Trachelyopterus coriaceus and Trachelyopterus galeatus, which were caught in tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil. All the specimens of T. galeatus and T. coriaceus were infected by one or more parasites, such as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Tripartiella tetramerii, Trichodina nobilis, Cosmetocleithrum striatuli, Contracaecum sp., Cystidicoloides sp., Dadaytremoides parauchenipteri and Gorytocephalus spectabilis. Seven species were common to both host fish, and there were 1-5 parasite species per host. In both hosts, trichodinids were dominant. Aggregate dispersion of ectoparasites and endoparasites was observed, with greater aggregation among endoparasites. Only the ectoparasites species showed differences in intensity and/or abundance. However, the parasite communities of the two hosts were taxonomically similar (99%) and characterized by high prevalence and high abundance of ectoparasites, but with low diversity, prevalence and abundance of endoparasites. Trachelyopterus galeatus, the host with the larger body size, presented greater variation of Brillouin diversity and evenness, while T. coriaceus had higher Berger-Parker dominance values and total numbers of parasites. This first study on these parasites of T. galeatus and T. coriaceus showed that the life mode, size of the hosts and the availability of infective forms of the parasites were the main factors that influenced the parasite communities structure.Keywords: Amazon, auchenipterid, diversity, infection, parasites. ResumoO objetivo deste estudo foi comparar as comunidades, prevalência, intensidade, abundância e interações parasito-hospedeiro em duas populações de hospedeiros simpatricos, Trachelyopterus coriaceus e Trachelyopterus galeatus de um tributário do sistema do Rio Amazonas, no Brasil. Todos os espécimes de T. galeatus e T. coriaceus estavam infectados por um ou mais parasitos, tais como Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Tripartiella tetramerii, Trichodina nobilis, Cosmetocleithrum striatuli, Contracaecum sp., Cystidicoloides sp., Dadaytremoides parauchenipteri e Gorytocephalus spectabilis. Sete espécies de parasitos foram comuns para ambos os peixes hospedeiros e houve de 1-5 espécies de parasitos por hospedeiro. Em ambos os hospedeiros houve dominância de espécies de tricodinídeos. A dispersão dos ectoparasitos e endoparasitos foi agregada, mas a maior agregação foi de endoparasitos. Somente espécies de ectoparasitos mostraram diferenças na intensidade e/ou abundância. Entretanto, as comunidades parasitárias dos dois hospedeiros foram taxonomicamente semelhante (99%) e caracterizada por alta prevalência e abundância de ectoparasitos, mas com baixa diversidade, prevalência e abundância de endoparasitos. Trachelyopterus galeatus, com maior tamanho corporal, apresentou maior variação da diversidade Brillouin e uniformidade, enquanto T. coriaceus teve maiores valores de dominância de Berger-Parker e número total de parasitos. Este primeiro ...

<b>Community of protozoans and metazoans parasitizing <i>Auchenipterus nuchalis</i> (Auchenipteridae), a catfish from the Brazilian Amazon

“…Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and P. pilullare are protozoans that are globally widespread and welladapted to different environmental conditions, once these parasites have no parasitic specificity to hosts (Omeji, Solomon, & Obande, 2010;Tavares-Dias et al, 2013;Pantoja et al, 2016). These parasites occur mostly in environments with low oxygen levels, as observed in this study .…”

“…The A. nuchalis parasites component community consisted of three species of ectoparasites -I. multifiliis, P. pilullare and C. striatuli, and one species of endoparasites in larval and adult stage, the P. (S.) inopinatus, a nematode of complex life cycle. However, the protozoans I. multifiliis and P. pilullare were dominant because both ectoparasites have direct life cycle and great capacity for reproduction in eutrophic environments (Marcogliese et al, 2006;Pinheiro, Tavares-Dias, Dias, Santos, & Marinho, 2013;Tavares-Dias et al, 2014;Pantoja et al, 2016), such as the ecosystem investigated here (TavaresDias et al, 2014;Pantoja et al, 2016). Therefore, these parasites may be excellent indicators of changes in environmental conditions.…”

“…A variety of abiotic and biotic factors, e.g., pollution, eutrophication, seasonality, environmental changes, etc, and relationships with other species, determine the distribution of organisms, including the parasites (Tavares-Dias, Oliveira, Gonçalves, & Silva, 2014;Morozińska-Gogol, 2015;Camargo et al, 2016;Pantoja et al, 2016). The A. nuchalis parasites component community consisted of three species of ectoparasites -I. multifiliis, P. pilullare and C. striatuli, and one species of endoparasites in larval and adult stage, the P. (S.) inopinatus, a nematode of complex life cycle.…”

“…It has a river system with extensive floodplains, constituting physical systems with clogged river, drained by freshwater and connected to a main watercourse, influenced by high rainfalls and tides of the Amazonas River. This tributary eutrophicated by urbanization is widely used for refuge and feeding by many fish species (Gama & Halboth 2004;Tavares-Dias, Neves, Pinheiro, Oliveira, & Marinho, 2013;Pantoja et al, 2016).…”

“…However, parasites are a very important component of biocenosis and good indicators of environmental changes. Some species of parasites play a key role in the regulation of the abundance of host fish by affecting their growth, fertility and behavior (Morozińska-Gogol, 2015;Camargo et al, 2016;Pantoja, Silva, & Tavares-Dias, 2016). Thus, the aim of this paper was to provide information on the parasitic community and infracommunities in A. nuchalis of the Igarapé Fortaleza River, in the state of Amapá, northern Brazil.…”