Eye fluke (Tylodelphys clavata) infection impairs visual ability and hampers foraging success in European perch

Muñoz, Jenny Carolina Vivas; Bierbach, David; Knopf, Klaus

doi:10.1007/s00436-019-06389-5

Cited by 14 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Eye fluke infection intensity might also affect foraging behaviour of perch within a shoal. A modified foraging behaviour eventually may represent a compensatory mechanism for reduced foraging competitive ability caused by eye fluke infection 20,23,24,60 . The parasitological survey showed that, even though six trematode species infected the eyes of perch in Lake Müggelsee, T. clavata was by far the most abundant and prevalent species, infecting all but one fish examined (prevalence > 99%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parasites are often expected to reduce fish body condition due to pathological effects of infection 63,64 . The detrimental effect on the visual performance together with the reduction of feeding efficiency 15,16,20,23,24,65 induced by eye flukes might affect fish body condition. In this study, a positive relationship between condition factor and infection intensity was observed for fish sampled in 2014 but this relationship was not detected in 2016.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Behavioural studies have shown that the lens infecting Diplostomum spathaceum and the vitreous humour dwelling Tylodelphys clavata have important consequences on the detection of prey, predators and conspecifics (e.g. [20][21][22][23] ). Our previous studies 23,24 showed that T. clavata impaired foraging efficiency and competitive ability of European perch (Perca fluviatilis).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[20][21][22][23] ). Our previous studies 23,24 showed that T. clavata impaired foraging efficiency and competitive ability of European perch (Perca fluviatilis). More heavily infected fish consumed less of the available food than their less infected conspecifics.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Eye fluke infection changes diet composition in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Muñoz

Feld

Hilt

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Intraspecific diet specialization, usually driven by resource availability, competition and predation, is common in natural populations. However, the role of parasites on diet specialization of their hosts has rarely been studied. Eye flukes can impair vision ability of their hosts and have been associated with alterations of fish feeding behavior. Here it was assessed whether European perch (Perca fluviatilis) alter their diet composition as a consequence of infection with eye flukes. Young-of-the-year (YOY) perch from temperate Lake Müggelsee (Berlin, Germany) were sampled in two years, eye flukes counted and fish diet was evaluated using both stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Perch diet was dominated by zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates. Both methods indicated that with increasing eye fluke infection intensity fish had a more selective diet, feeding mainly on the benthic macroinvertebrate Dikerogammarus villosus, while less intensively infected fish appeared to be generalist feeders showing no preference for any particular prey type. Our results show that infection with eye flukes can indirectly affect interaction of the host with lower trophic levels by altering the diet composition and highlight the underestimated role of parasites in food web studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Eye fluke infection changes diet composition in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Muñoz

Feld

Hilt

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…In addition, Diplostomum have been reported as having a direct pathogenic effect, with an exponential increase in mortality as infection intensity increases (Brassard et al, 1982b). Likewise, infection with T. clavata has been suggested to negatively affect the feeding behaviour of perch, which is hypothesized to increase the risk of predation (Vivas Muñoz et al, 2019). Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, infected with D. spathaceum engage in behaviours that put them at greater risk of predation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studies on the population biology of helminth parasites of fish species from the Caspian Sea drainage basin

et al. 2021

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The northern section of the Caspian Sea and lower reaches of the Zhaiyk (Ural) River is an important fishery for Kazakhstan. In the present study, a total of 1597 individuals of ten fish species were analysed. The fish were caught over three years, from 2018 to 2020. For each species studied – Abramis brama, Alosa saposchnikowii, Atherina boyeri caspia, Carassius gibelio, Chelon auratus, Cyprinus carpio, Leuciscus aspius, Rutilus caspius, Sander marinus and Sander volgensis – between 100 and 200 individuals were examined. A series of generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to examine the association between individual parasite intensity of infection and the Fulton index, age, year the fish was captured, where the fish was captured (northern Caspian or Zhaiyk River) and sex. For each GLM, the best-fitting probability distribution was used –either Poisson, zero-inflated Poisson, negative binomial or zero-inflated negative binomial. For some fish/parasite species, an increased Fulton index was associated with higher intensities of parasite infection, whilst, for others, the Fulton index decreased with the intensity of parasite infection. This was also true of age-related intensity of infection, with some parasites having an increased intensity of infection with age whilst others had a decreased intensity of infection with age. There was also some evidence of variation in intensity of parasite infection between different years when the fish were caught. For some species of fish that are endemic to both the fresh waters of the Zhaiyk River and the low-saline waters of the northern Caspian, there were variations in intensity of parasite infection between the two environments. The best-fitting probability distribution also gave some information about the dynamics of infection. No fish species had a Poisson distribution of parasites, which is consistent with an entirely random infection process, with all fish being potentially exposed. For some parasites, the distribution was a zero-inflated Poisson, which is consistent with either the fish being exposed to parasite infection or not; and, if exposed, infection was a random process. Other parasites had a negative binomial distribution, consistent with the entire fish population being exposed, but the infection process was clumped or there were variations in the susceptibility of infection between fish. Finally, some of the parasites had a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution, which can be interpreted as part of the fish population not being exposed and the remainder of the population being exposed to a clumped or aggregated infection process and/or a variation in individual susceptibility to infection.

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Parasite infection impairs the shoaling behaviour of uninfected shoal members under predator attack

Demandt

Bierbach

Kurvers

et al. 2021

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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A key benefit of sociality is a reduction in predation risk. Cohesive group behaviour and rapid collective decision making are essential for reducing predation risk in groups. Parasite infection might reduce an individuals’ grouping behaviours and thereby change the behaviour of the group as a whole. To investigate the relationship between parasite infection and grouping behaviours, we studied groups of three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, varying the number of individuals experimentally infected with the cestode Schistocephalus solidus. We studied groups of six sticklebacks containing 0, 2, 3, 4 or 6 infected individuals before and after a simulated bird attack. We predicted that infected individuals would have reduced shoaling and swimming speed and that the presence of infected individuals within a group would reduce group cohesion and speed. Uninfected fish increased shoaling and reduced swimming speed more than infected fish after the bird attack. In groups containing both infected and uninfected fish, the group behaviours were dominated by the more frequent character (uninfected versus infected). Interestingly, groups with equal numbers of uninfected and infected fish showed the least shoaling and had the lowest swimming speeds, suggesting that these groups failed to generate a majority and therefore displayed signs of indecisiveness by reducing their swimming speed the most. Our results provide evidence for a negative effect of infection on a group’s shoaling behaviour, thereby potentially deteriorating collective decision making. The presence of infected individuals might thus have far-reaching consequences in natural populations under predation risk. Significance statement Parasite-infected individuals often show deviating group behaviours. This might reduce the anti-predator benefits of group living. However, it is unknown whether such deviations in group behaviour might influence the shoaling behaviour of uninfected group members and thereby the behaviour of the group as a whole. By experimentally infecting sticklebacks and investigating groups varying in infection rates, we show that infected sticklebacks differ in their shoaling behaviours from uninfected sticklebacks. Additionally, the presence of infected sticklebacks within the group affected the behaviour of uninfected shoal members. We show that shoals of infected fish are less cohesive and move slower compared to shoals of uninfected fish. Furthermore, we show that the infection rate of the shoal is crucial for how the group behaves.

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Eye fluke (Tylodelphys clavata) infection impairs visual ability and hampers foraging success in European perch

Cited by 14 publications

References 56 publications

Eye fluke infection changes diet composition in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Eye fluke infection changes diet composition in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Studies on the population biology of helminth parasites of fish species from the Caspian Sea drainage basin

Parasite infection impairs the shoaling behaviour of uninfected shoal members under predator attack

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