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Long-lasting effect of stress on susceptibility of a freshwater clam to copepod parasitism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2004

M. SAARINEN
Affiliation:
Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland
J. TASKINEN
Affiliation:
Karelian Institute, Department of Ecology, University of Joensuu, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
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Abstract

The question whether a stress event can have a long-lasting effect on susceptibility to parasites was studied using a freshwater bivalve clam and its crustacean parasite as a model system. Anodonta piscinalis clams were collected from 2 populations during August–September 2002. Clams were transported to the laboratory and marked. The stressed clams were subjected to low oxygen for 25 days, while the unstressed control clams were caged in their lakes of origin for the same period. Then the clams were transported to a third lake where they were exposed to natural infections by the ergasilid copepod, Paraergasilus rylovi, 11 months after the stress event. The stressed clams were more intensively parasitized. They also showed lower growth, lower reproduction and lower survival than the unstressed control clams. The results indicate that susceptibility of A. piscinalis to P. rylovi infection may be condition dependent, and that stress may have a long-lasting, increasing effect on host susceptibility to parasitism in natural populations.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press
Figure 0

Table 1. Experimental parameters of Anodonta piscinalis studied

Figure 1

Fig. 1. Mean intensity of Paraergasilus rylovi infection (±S.E.) in stressed and non-stressed control groups on 18 August in Anodonta piscinalis clams originally from Lakes Ahveninen and Jyväsjärvi but kept in Lake Saravesi from September 2002 to August 2003 and infected by P. rylovi in August 2003.

Figure 2

Table 2. Results of ANOVAs for testing the effects of treatment (stress, non-stressed control) and origin (Lake Ahveninen, Lake Jyväsjärvi) on the intensity of ergasilid Paraergasilus rylovi, growth of Anodonta piscinalis clams during the experiment, reproduction of female clams (the relative larval production index) and reproduction of female P. rylovi

Figure 3

Fig. 2. Mean length-adjusted growth (±S.E.) during the experiment among stressed and non-stressed control groups in Anodonta piscinalis clams originally from Lakes Ahveninen and Jyväsjärvi kept in Lake Saravesi from September 2002 to August 2003. Reference groups were kept in their lakes of origin, but those kept in Lake Ahveninen were lost.

Figure 4

Fig. 3. Reproduction of female Anodonta piscinalis clams, measured as the relative larval production index (%, the proportion of gill blade volume filled with glochidia) on 18 August 2003, in clams originally from Lake Ahveninen and Lake Jyväsjärvi but kept in Lake Saravesi from September 2002 to August 2003. Reference groups were kept in their lakes of origin, but those kept in Lake Ahveninen were lost.