Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6291914 | Experimental Parasitology | 2011 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
⺠The swimming behavior of Poecilia vivipara was evaluated using an image analysis system comparing laboratory-reared uninfected fish before and after experimental infection with different intensities of cercariae of the trematode Acanthocollaritrema umbilicatum. ⺠The swimming behavior of Poecilia vivipara changed due to the intensity-dependent influence of metacercariae of A. umbilicatum, supporting the hypothesis that parasites are able to alter the behavior of their hosts. ⺠The fish intermediate host P. vivipara at first becomes slightly agitated, with a decrease in the time spent resting, but, as the intensity of the metacercariae increases, the resting time becomes more extended with a corresponding decrease in all movements, including the average speed. A lethargic and less motile fish may be more likely to be preyed upon by a lie-in-wait definitive host, such as the common snook Centropomus undecimalis.
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Authors
Everton G.N. Santos, Rodolfo A. Cunha, Claudia Portes Santos,