Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
6291914 Experimental Parasitology 2011 5 Pages PDF
Abstract
► 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. ► 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. ► 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.
Related Topics
Life Sciences Immunology and Microbiology Parasitology
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