Isopods Associated with Fishes: A Synopsis and Corrections

Bunkley-Williams, Lucy; Williams, Ernest H.

doi:10.2307/3284615

Cited by 101 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Furthermore, the metabolic rates of parasitized individuals were higher at all swimming speeds suggesting that energy requirements of parasitized fish exceed that of uninfected fish. As a result, parasitized individuals either need to spend more time foraging, putting them at greater risk of predation, or may suffer from reduced growth and/or reproduction [1,12,13].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These abundant and relatively large (4.2-23.0 mm) parasites either attach themselves to a fixed location on their host, or move around freely on the host's body [1]. On coral reefs, these isopods parasitize several species including the bridled monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus), with approximately 4 per cent of the population infected by Anilocra nemipteri at some locations on the Great Barrier Reef (S. A. Binning 2012, unpublished data).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cymothoid isopods are ectoparasitic crustaceans that infect fishes throughout the tropics [1]. These abundant and relatively large (4.2-23.0 mm) parasites either attach themselves to a fixed location on their host, or move around freely on the host's body [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ectoparasites can substantially affect hosts by impacting physiological, behavioural and morphological traits, and damaging the host's integument [1][2][3]. In fishes, ectoparasites pose additional challenges because streamlining is important to reduce the costs of locomotion [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ectoparasites increase swimming costs in a coral reef fish

2013

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Ectoparasites can reduce individual fitness by negatively affecting behavioural, morphological and physiological traits. In fishes, there are potential costs if ectoparasites decrease streamlining, thereby directly compromising swimming performance. Few studies have examined the effects of ectoparasites on fish swimming performance and none distinguish between energetic costs imposed by changes in streamlining and effects on host physiology. The bridled monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineatus) is parasitized by an isopod (Anilocra nemipteri), which attaches above the eye. We show that parasitized fish have higher standard metabolic rates (SMRs), poorer aerobic capacities and lower maximum swimming speeds than non-parasitized fish. Adding a model parasite did not affect SMR, but reduced maximum swimming speed and elevated oxygen consumption rates at high speeds to levels observed in naturally parasitized fish. This demonstrates that ectoparasites create drag effects that are important at high speeds. The higher SMR of naturally parasitized fish does, however, reveal an effect of parasitism on host physiology. This effect was easily reversed: fish whose parasite was removed 24 h earlier did not differ from unparasitized fish in any performance metrics. In sum, the main cost of this ectoparasite is probably its direct effect on streamlining, reducing swimming performance at high speeds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ectoparasites increase swimming costs in a coral reef fish

2013

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“…Gnathiids, although considered 'permanent' parasites by Bunkley-Williams & Williams (1998), appear only to spend minutes or hours at a time on fishes (Monod 1926, Paperna & Por 1977, spending most of their time in the benthos to digest their blood meal and to moult and reproduce (Monod 1926, Wägele 1988. They have also often been captured in plankton nets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergence rates from the benthos of the parasitic juveniles of gnathiid isopods

Grutter¹,

Lester²,

Greenwood³

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Variation in the rate at which parasitic gnathiid isopod juveniles emerged from the benthos at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, was examined (1) every 4 or 8 h throughout the day and night over a 24 h period, (2) over a 12 h period during the day or night, and (3) during different lunar phases (weeks). The number of gnathiids sampled per 4 or 8 h was low, with only 30% of the traps containing gnathiids and the abundance ranging from 0 to 3 gnathiids m . During the third and fifth weeks sampled, more gnathiids emerged during the day than at night. This coincided with the full moon and new moon. Most gnathiids that emerged from the reef during the day (98%) had not fed, in contrast to those sampled at night (71%). Of the gnathiids with no engorged gut, most (97%) of those collected during the day were small (≤1 mm) compared to those collected at night (19%), the latter being mostly >1 mm. Of the gnathiids with an engorged gut, most were sampled at night (83%) and 97% were >1 mm in size. These percentages suggest differences in the emergence behaviour among life stages or species of gnathiids. This study, which shows that gnathiids do emerge during the day and supports other studies showing that gnathiids also attack fishes during the day, has important implications for understanding the role of cleaner fish and their main food source, gnathiids, as it shows there is a constant source of gnathiids emerging from the reef during the day and night in search of hosts.

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