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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
Schludermann C, Konecny R, Laimgruber S (2003) Fish macroparasites as indicators of heavy metal pollution in river sites in Austria. Parasitology 126:S61–S69
Sures B (2003) Accumulation of heavy metals by intestinal helminths in fish: an overview and perspective. Parasitology 126:S53–S60
Sures B (2004) Environmental parasitology: relevancy of parasites in monitoring environmental pollution. Trends Parasitol 20:70–177
Sures B (2008a) Host-parasite interactions in polluted environments. J Fish Biol 73:2133–2142
Sures B (2008b) Environmental parasitology. Interactions between parasites and pollutants in the aquatic environment. Parasite 15(3):434–438
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Corresponding author
Rights 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
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0595-x