The infection dynamics and dispersion pattern of Lernaeocera branchialis L. on 0+ whiting (Merlangius merlangus L.) in the Oosterschelde (SW Netherlands)
Van Damme, P.A.; Hamerlynck, O. (1992). The infection dynamics and dispersion pattern of Lernaeocera branchialis L. on 0+ whiting (Merlangius merlangus L.) in the Oosterschelde (SW Netherlands). J. Fish Biol. 41(2): 265-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1992.tb02656.x In: Journal of Fish Biology. Fisheries Society of the British Isles: London,New York,. ISSN 0022-1112; e-ISSN 1095-8649, more |  |
| Keywords | Lernaea brachialis Linnaeus, 1767 [WoRMS]; Merlangius merlangus (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | LERNAEOCERA-BRANCHIALIS; MERLANGIUS-MERLANGUS; OOSTERSCHELDE; POPULATIONDYNAMICS; POPULATION STRUCTURE; DISPERSION PATTERN |
| Abstract | Size and structure of the Lernaeocera branchialis population infection 0+ whiting in the Oosterschelde were studied during 1989. Two periods of successful transmission were distinguished. The first transmission wave occurs in late spring when the post-larval whiting enter the Oosterschelde. A second wave occurs in autumn. This pattern in the infection dynamics is possibly related to seasonal variations in spatial overlap of the intermediate (Platichthys flesus) and the final host (Merlangius merlangus). The dispersion pattern of Lernaeocera branchialis within the whiting population can be described by the Poisson distribution. Possible explanations for the observed dispersion pattern are given. Evidence is presented that the rejection of pennella larvae is a key mechanism determining the abundance of L. branchialis in whiting. The potential impact of parasite-induced host mortality on population size and dispersion pattern of the parasite is discussed. |
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