Parasites of fish Poecilia velifera and their potential as bioindicators of wetland restoration progress

Abstract

Fish harbor a high diversity of parasites that play an important role for the ecosystem. Because these parasites have different life-cycle traits, changes in their populations or communities may provide useful information related to ecosystem health. Highly stressful conditions may reduce parasite communities or populations. However, it is not a rule since host-parasite interactions are hardly predictable. In this study, macroparasites of the fish sailfin molly (Poecilia velifera) from three sites (conserved, degraded and under restoration) located within a mangrove wetland area, in the Terminos Lagoon (southern Gulf of Mexico), were analyzed in order to determine their potential use as bioindicators. A total of 198 fish were examined for parasites. Six parasite species were found: two crustaceans (Argulus sp. and Ergasilus aff. cerastes), one trematode (Centrocestus formosanus), one monogenean (Gyrodactylus sp.) and two nematodes (Contracaecum sp. and Cuculanus sp.). There were no significant differences in the structure of parasite infracommunities as well as in prevalence and intensity of parasite populations between degraded and conserved sites. However, the site under restoration had poorer infracommunities and smaller populations of crustaceans and trematodes, which suggests that restoration efforts have not improved the ecological conditions. Based on these results, it is conjectured that parasites of P. velifera did not show useful information to provide a diagnosis related to ecosystem health. Beyond this ecological subject, the present study represents new host record for most parasite species found.

Profile of ectoparasites and biometric condition of snakehead (Channa striata Bloch 1793) collected from different habitats

“…Consequently, swamp habitats have a higher diversity of ectoparasites compared to other habitats. Several studies inform that monogenean parasites are more commonly found in wetland areas (including swamps) with still water and low pollution levels (Krause et al 2010;Morales-Serna et al, 2019). Ansyari et al (2020) also revealed a similar result where Dactylogyrus sp.…”

Biotische interacties in aquatische ecosystemen

“…Parasitisme is echter vooral onderzocht in het kader van de medische wetenschap. Recent is meer aandacht voor parasitisme als stuurfactor voor biodiversiteit en als bio-indicator in de aquatische ecologie (Morales-Serna et al, 2019;Sures et al, 2017). In een studie in beken werden in en aan 20-100% van de geleedpotigen parasieten gevonden (Grabner, 2017).…”

MICROBIOLOGY QUALITY OF TINFOIL BARB Barbonymus schwanenfeldii FROM TEMBAT AND PETUANG RIVERS, KENYIR LAKE, MALAYSIA IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEMATODES, Cucullanus sp INFECTION

“…A various research had documented that the nematode genus Cucullanus Muller, 1777 (Cucullanidae) was the dominating variant, not only in freshwater, but also in brackish and marine waters around the world. Morales-Serna et al (2019) recently documented that Cucullanus sp. had prevalence of 14 % and mean intensity of 1.9 in the intestines of the Yucatan molly (Poecilia velifera) caught in the wetlands of Terminos Lagoon, Mexico.…”