Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of Acanthocephalus lucii Infection on Total Mercury Concentrations in Muscle and Gonads of Fish Host (Perca fluviatilis)

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The samples from 13 perches (Perca fluviatilis) – muscle with skin and bones; fish gonads; and acanthocephalan parasites were analysed for mercury (Hg). Hg concentrations were present in all analysed samples. There were found no statistically significant difference in Hg concentration in fish tissues between perches either with or without infection by the acanthocephalan parasite, Acanthocephalus lucii). In this study there was no evidence that acanthocephalan worms accumulate mercury from hosts. For this reason, A. lucii is not a suitable bioindicator for mercury pollution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bloom NS (1992) On the chemical form of mercury in edible fish and marine invertebrata tissue. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 49:1010–1017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jankovská I, Miholová D, Langrová I, Bejček V, Vadlejch J, Šulc M (2010a) Influence of parasitism on trace element contents in tissues of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and its parasites Mesocestoides spp. (Cestoda) and Toxascaris leonina (Nematoda). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 58:469–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jankovská I, Vadlejch J, Száková J, Miholová D, Kunc P, Knížková I, Langrová I (2010b) Experimental studies on the lead accumulation in the cestode Moniezia expansa (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) and its final host (Ovis aries). Ecotoxicology 19:928–932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jankovská I, Miholová D, Petrtýl M, Romočuský Š, Kalous L, Vadlejch J, Čadková Z, Langrová I (2011) Intestinal parasite Acanthocephalus lucii (Acanthocephala) from European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as a bioindicator for lead pollution in the stream “Jevanský potok” near Prague, Czech Republic. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 86:342–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikula P (2004) http://ekolist.cz. Accessed 14 Feb 2012

  • Palíková M, Baruš V (2003) Mercury content in Anguillicola crassus (Nematoda) and its host Anguilla anguilla. Acta Vet Brno 72:89–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryman JE, Van Walleghem JLA, Blanchfield PJ (2008) Methylmercury levels in a parasite (Apophallus brevis metacercariae) and its host, yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Aquat Ecol 42(3):495–501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schludermann C, Konecny R, Laimgruber S (2003) Fish macroparasites as indicators of heavy metal pollution in river sites in Austria. Parasitology 126:S61–S69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B (2003) Accumulation of heavy metals by intestinal helminths in fish: an overview and perspective. Parasitology 126:S53–S60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B (2004) Environmental parasitology: relevancy of parasites in monitoring environmental pollution. Trends Parasitol 20:70–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B (2008a) Host-parasite interactions in polluted environments. J Fish Biol 73:2133–2142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B (2008b) Environmental parasitology. Interactions between parasites and pollutants in the aquatic environment. Parasite 15(3):434–438

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B, Siddall R (1999) Pomphorhynchus laevis: the intestinal acanthocephalan as a lead sink for its fish host, chub (Leuciscus cephalus). Exp Parasitol 93:66–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B, Siddall R (2001) Comparison between lead accumulation of Pomphorhynchus laevis (Palaeacanthocephala) in the intestine of chub (Leuciscus cephalus) and in the body cavity of goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus). Int J Parasitol 31:669–673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B, Siddall R (2003) Pomphorhynchus laevis (Palaeacanthocephala) in the intestine of chub (Leuciscus cephalus) as an indicator of metal pollution. Int J Parasitol 33:65–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B, Taraschewski H (1995) Cadmium concentrations in two adult acanthocephalans, Pomphorhynchus laevis and Acanthocephalus lucii, as compared with their fish hosts and cadmium and lead levels in larvae of A. lucii as compared with their crustacean host. Parasitol Res 81:494–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sures B, Grube K, Taraschewski H (2002) Experimental studies on the lead accumulation in the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta and its final host, Rattus norvegicus. Ecotoxicology 11:365–368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turčeková L, Hanzelová V (2004) The monitoring of mercury content in ecosystems important from the aspects of environmental protection. In: Proceedings of the XIII scientific symposium with international participation on ecology in selected agglomerations of Jelšava-Lubeník and Central Spiš, pp 86–90

  • Turčeková L, Hanzelova V, Spakulova M (2002) Concentration of heavy metals in perch and its endoparasites in the polluted water reservoir in Eastern Slovakia. Helminthology 39:23–28

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by S grant of MSMT CR. We would also like to thank Mr. Brian Kavalir for his proofreading services.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivana Jankovská.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jankovská, I., Kolihová, D., Miholová, D. et al. Effect of Acanthocephalus lucii Infection on Total Mercury Concentrations in Muscle and Gonads of Fish Host (Perca fluviatilis). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 88, 967–970 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0595-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0595-x

Keywords

Navigation