Atlantic salmon infected with salmon lice are more susceptible to new lice infections

Aggregation is commonly observed for macroparasites, but its adaptive value remains unclear. Heavy infestations intensities may lead to a decrease in some fitness‐related traits of parasites (e.g. parasite fecundity or survival). However, to a dioecious parasite, increased aggregation could also inc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish diseases 2017-03, Vol.40 (3), p.311-317
Main Authors: Ugelvik, M S, Mo, T, Mennerat, A, Skorping, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aggregation
Animals
Copepoda - physiology
Disease Susceptibility - parasitology
Disease Susceptibility - veterinary
Ectoparasitic Infestations - parasitology
Ectoparasitic Infestations - veterinary
Female
Fish Diseases - parasitology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Lepeophtheirus salmonis
Life Sciences
Male
Marine
positive density dependence
Reproduction
Salmo salar
susceptibility
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Summary:Aggregation is commonly observed for macroparasites, but its adaptive value remains unclear. Heavy infestations intensities may lead to a decrease in some fitness‐related traits of parasites (e.g. parasite fecundity or survival). However, to a dioecious parasite, increased aggregation could also increase the chance of finding individuals of the opposite sex. In a laboratory experiment, we tested if previous experience with salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) affected susceptibility of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to later exposure to the same parasite species. We found that currently infected fish got higher intensities of new lice than naive fish. This suggests that hosts already carrying parasites are more susceptible to new lice infections. For this dioecious parasite, such positive density dependence might be adaptive, ensuring successful reproduction under conditions of low lice densities by increasing the probability of both sexes infecting the same host.
ISSN:0140-7775
1365-2761
DOI:10.1111/jfd.12514