TY - JOUR

T1 - Substratum preferences in two notocotylid (Digenea, Notocotylidae) cercariae from Hydrobia ventrosa at the White Sea

AU - Gonchar, Anna

AU - Galaktionov, Kirill V.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Notocotylids are digeneans with a two-host life cycle. Their cercariae encyst on underwater substrata, and final hosts (mostly water birds) get infected by consuming encysted metacercariae. The aim of this study was to assess whether notocotylid cercariae have encystment substratum preferences. We used Cercaria Notocotylidae sp. No 11 Deblock, 1980 (presumably Paramonostomum alveatum Mehlis 1846) and C. Notocotylidae sp. No 12 Deblock, 1980 associated with mudsnails Hydrobia ventrosa at the White Sea. Three series of experiments were performed in which distribution of cysts across different combinations of substrata was measured. The results suggest that C. Notocotylidae sp. No 11 cercariae encyst almost exclusively on the leaves of green plants without any plant species preferences. C. Notocotylidae sp. No 12 cercariae use shells of living molluscs and plant substrata equally often but avoid empty shells. These preferences are probably adapted to the feeding habits of the final hosts and this may enhance the

AB - Notocotylids are digeneans with a two-host life cycle. Their cercariae encyst on underwater substrata, and final hosts (mostly water birds) get infected by consuming encysted metacercariae. The aim of this study was to assess whether notocotylid cercariae have encystment substratum preferences. We used Cercaria Notocotylidae sp. No 11 Deblock, 1980 (presumably Paramonostomum alveatum Mehlis 1846) and C. Notocotylidae sp. No 12 Deblock, 1980 associated with mudsnails Hydrobia ventrosa at the White Sea. Three series of experiments were performed in which distribution of cysts across different combinations of substrata was measured. The results suggest that C. Notocotylidae sp. No 11 cercariae encyst almost exclusively on the leaves of green plants without any plant species preferences. C. Notocotylidae sp. No 12 cercariae use shells of living molluscs and plant substrata equally often but avoid empty shells. These preferences are probably adapted to the feeding habits of the final hosts and this may enhance the

KW - Trematoda

KW - Notocotylidae

KW - Encystment substratum

KW - Substratum preferences

KW - Cercariae

KW - Life cycle

U2 - 10.1016/j.seares.2015.07.006

DO - 10.1016/j.seares.2015.07.006

M3 - Article

VL - 113

SP - 115

EP - 118

JO - Journal of Sea Research

JF - Journal of Sea Research

SN - 1385-1101

ER -