Cercariae of many digenean trematodes target particular developmental stages of their hosts. For some digeneans that are parasites of amphibians, infection appears timed to host metamorphosis. The success and timing of metamorphosis is itself affected by a number of factors, including host density. We investigated the degree to which rearing density of Rana pipiens larvae influenced time to metamorphosis and snout-to-vent length and mass at metamorphosis, as well as establishment of cercariae of the trematode Manodistomum syntomentera Stafford, 1905. As expected, individuals metamorphosed later, were smaller, and weighed less at metamorphosis if they were reared under intermediate to high densities compared with low densities, in experimental outdoor mesocosms. Cercariae establishment was higher in smaller metamorphs that took longer to metamorphose within the low-density treatment. Additionally, cercariae establishment was lower in larvae from the low-density tanks compared with larvae from the intermediate- to high-density tanks. However, more tadpoles had failed to metamorphose in the intermediate to high rearing densities by the time cercariae were no longer available from natural collections of first intermediate hosts, Physa spp. Larval amphibians under crowded conditions should experience increased susceptibility to trematode establishment in nature, but only if they metamorphose within the time period when cercariae are still available.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
June 2006
LIFE CYCLES-SURVEY|
June 01 2006
REARING DENSITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF RANA PIPIENS METAMORPHS TO CERCARIAE OF A DIGENETIC TREMATODE
Oluwayemisi K. Dare;
Oluwayemisi K. Dare
Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 Canada. [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Pamela L. Rutherford;
Pamela L. Rutherford
Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 Canada. [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Mark R. Forbes
Mark R. Forbes
Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 Canada. [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
J Parasitol (2006) 92 (3): 543–547.
Citation
Oluwayemisi K. Dare, Pamela L. Rutherford, Mark R. Forbes; REARING DENSITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF RANA PIPIENS METAMORPHS TO CERCARIAE OF A DIGENETIC TREMATODE. J Parasitol 1 June 2006; 92 (3): 543–547. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-674R1.1
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
LOUSY ASSOCIATIONS: SUCKING LICE (PHTHIRAPTERA: ANOPLURA) PARASITIZING RODENTS AND LAGOMORPHS IN THE DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NEVADA
Sara B. Weinstein, John P. Dumbacher, Lance A. Durden
A NEW SPECIES OF ACANTHOBOTHRIUM (CESTODA: ONCHOPROTEOCEPHALIDEA), PARASITE OF THE GIANT ELECTRIC RAY NARCINE ENTEMEDOR JORDAN AND STARKS, 1895 (BATOIDEA: TORPEDINIFORMES) FROM MEXICO
Erick Rodríguez-Ibarra, Berenice Adán-Torres, Fernando Ruiz-Escobar, Gerardo Torres-Carrera
SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN GOATS FROM SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI, USA
Alexander D. W. Acholonu, Jamela S. Alexander
TAXES OF DICYEMIDS (PHYLUM DICYEMIDA)
Naoki Hisayama, Yuto Takeuchi, Hidetaka Furuya
TRICHINELLA MURRELLI POZIO AND LA ROSA, 2000 IN A GRAY FOX (UROCYON CINEREOARGENTEUS) FROM PENNSYLVANIA: A NEW HOST RECORD FOR THIS ZOONOTIC NEMATODE
P. C. Thompson, L. S. de Araujo, A. Gupta, S. Kay, O. C. H. Kwok, J. Battle, K. Van Why, J. D. Brown, B. M. Rosenthal, J. P. Dubey