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The role of the invasive polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) (Serpulidae) as facilitator of parasite transmission in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2012

J. A. ETCHEGOIN ,
M. J. MERLO  and
M. PARIETTI
J. A. ETCHEGOIN*
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Parasitología, IIMyC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata/CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
M. J. MERLO
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Parasitología, IIMyC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata/CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
M. PARIETTI
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Parasitología, IIMyC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata/CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
*
*Corresponding author: Tel: +54 223 4752426. Fax: +54 223 4753150. E-mail: jetchego@mdp.edu.ar
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Summary

In Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Argentina), the reefs of the invasive polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Serpulidae) serve as concentration areas for invertebrates and vertebrates and as potential foci of parasite transmission (mainly digeneans). To analyse the role of F. enigmaticus as facilitator of parasite transmission, and to evaluate the influence of the habitats selected by 2 species of cochliopid snails (Heleobia conexa and Heleobia australis), on the richness and on the prevalence of the digenean assemblages that parasitize them, 1945 snails were collected from 2 sampling sites. The comparisons between larval digenean communities parasitizing both snail hosts revealed significant differences related to the overall prevalence and the prevalence contributed by birds in the snails collected from reefs. These results support the idea that the reefs may increase the number of links between intermediate and definitive hosts of digeneans, facilitating parasite transmission only when the aggregates of F. enigmaticus become the unique habitat of the snail host. This first report of an exotic species acting as facilitator of parasite transmission in an estuarine area highlights the importance of analysing the effects of the assimilation process of exotic species by recently colonized environments (including the possible effects on parasite transmission).

Keywords

Heleobiabiological invasionslarval digenean assemblagesparasite transmissionsnail hosts
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 139 , Issue 11 , September 2012 , pp. 1506 - 1512
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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