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- Title
Behaviour of roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) altered byLigula intestinalis (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea): a field demonstration.
- Authors
Loot, Géraldine; Brosse, Sébastien; Lek, Sovan; Guégan, Jean-François
- Abstract
1. We studied the influence of a cestode parasite, the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis (L.) on roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) spatial occupancy in a French reservoir (Lake Pareloup, South-west of France). 2. Fish host age, habitat use and parasite occurrence and abundance were determined during a 1 year cycle using monthly gill-net catches. Multivariate analysis [generalized linear models (GLIM)], revealed significant relationships (P < 0.05) between roach age, its spatial occupancy and parasite occurrence and abundance. 3. Three-year-old roach were found to be heavily parasitized and their location toward the bank was significantly linked to parasite occurrence and abundance. Parasitized fish, considering both parasite occurrence and abundance, tended to occur close to the bank between July and December. On the contrary, between January and June no significant relationship was found. 4. These behavioural changes induced by the parasite may increase piscivorous bird encounter rate and predation efficiency on parasitized roach and therefore facilitate completion of the parasite’s life cycle.
- Subjects
ROACH (Fish); PARASITES; FISH habitats; FRESHWATER biology
- Publication
Freshwater Biology, 2001, Vol 46, Issue 9, p1219
- ISSN
0046-5070
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00733.x