Field Evidence of Trematode-Induced Gigantism in Hydrobia Spp. (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)

Abstract

The study of growth rates in the prosobranch snails Hydrobia ulvae and H. ventrosa under field conditions showed that growth rate of snails infected by different trematode species is species-specific. Trematodes from the families Microphallidae and Heterophyidae cause gigantic growth whereas species from families Notocotylidae and Bunocotylidae have no effect on growth rate. This discrepancy is attributed to the different pathogenicity of the parasites. However, under experimental conditions with different host population densities the effect of infection by Bunocotyle progenetica effect varies from a tendency to stunt the growth (under high density) to a significant increase in growth rate (under low density). The effect of Himasthla sp. (Echinostomatidae) was shown to be population-specific. These findings agree with a previously reported hypothesis that the growth response of trematode-infected snails depends (among other things) on supplement of host-parasite system with food. Trematode infection caused parasitic castration in all studied host-parasite combinations. It is argued that the phenomenon of gigantism in infected snails is a consequence of the reduced sexual ability of the host. The correlation between snail growth rate and penis size of infected males was negative. The correlation between growth rate and penis size was not found in uninfected snails from the same age group