0000000000605984
AUTHOR
John C. Holmes
ISOPOD (ASELLUS AQUATICUS) SIZE AND ACANTHOCEPHALAN (ACANTHOCEPHALUS LUCII) INFECTIONS
We examined the effect of isopod size and age on the success of an acanthocephalan infection and on the effects of that infection on the growth and survival of the isopods. Groups of isopods (Asellus aquaticus) belonging to 4 size classes (juveniles, maturing adults, young adults, and older adults) were exposed to infective acanthors of Acanthocephalus lucii. At the end of the experiment, survival of the isopods, lengths of male and female isopods, and numbers of different developmental stages of A. lucii larvae in infected isopods were assessed. Acanthocephalus lucii prevalence was significantly lower in juvenile isopods than in adults. Intensity of infection increased with the size of iso…
Do macrophage centres in freshwater fishes reflect the differences in water quality?
Abstract Macrophage centres have been considered as a potentially useful indicator of fish health. In this histological work we tested this hypothesis with macrophage centres (MCs) in the spleen, the liver and the hematopoietic part of the kidney of two common freshwater fish species in Finland, perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) and roach ( Rutilus rutilus ). Samples were collected over 5 seasons from a system of 4 lakes providing a gradation in water quality. The mean number of MCs/mm 2 and the area covered (μm 2 /mm 2 ) by them differed between individual fish, species, organs, and lakes, with interactions amongst these factors. Hemosiderosis was recorded from the spleen and liver of both fish …