Prevalence and abundance of two trematode parasites,Diplostomum phoxini andMacrolecithus papilliger in European minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) in an artificial Swiss Alpine lake

Abstract

The influence of parasites on the breeding biology of the European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) was studied by examining 268 adult and 59 young-of-the-year minnows from an artificial Swiss Alpine lake for parasites during the breeding seasons in 1990 and 1991. Two trematode parasites;Diplostomum phoxini, in their brains, andMacrolecithus papilliger, in their guts, were found. The prevalence ofD. phoxini was 100% in both years. The mean abundance was 231 in 1990 and 448 in 1991; the difference was significant. Prevalence (and abundance) ofM. papilliger was 37.5% (1.04±0.39) in 1990 and 59.5% (2.68±0.55) in 1991; also significantly higher in 1991 than in 1990. No differences in prevalence or abundance between males and females were found. Numbers of both parasites were significantly correlated with fish length. There was seasonal variation in the abundance ofD. phoxini metacercariae, with a peak in June/July in both years. The prevalence ofM. papiller decreased after July in both years. Distribution of the two trematodes was overdispersed as indicated by the variance to mean (abundance) ratio. The observed seasonal variation inD. phoxini abundance also suggests that sublethal parasites could influence the population dynamics of their hosts.