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High Prevalence and Potential Impacts of Caligid Ectoparasites on Larval Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) in the Chesapeake Bay

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Abstract

Larvae of Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus enter Mid-Atlantic Bight estuaries annually between September and February. A high prevalence of ectoparasitic crustacean infection of ingressing larval M. undulatus was observed in Chesapeake Bay; this ectoparasite was identified as a species of Lepeophtheirus within the copepod family Caligidae from analysis of cytochrome oxidase I sequences and scanning electron microscopy. Between 2007 and 2011, seasonal differences in prevalence were observed, with higher infection rates on fall ingressing larvae (20 % mean monthly infection rate) than in larvae entering the estuary in the winter (monthly infection rate of 6 %); the head region had the highest parasite attachment rate, being observed in 78 % of the infected fish. The potential effects of this ectoparasite on larval M. undulatus could include reductions in feeding (and thus growth) and increased susceptibility to predation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank T. Clardy, A. Deary, P. McGrath, P. Crewe, and numerous volunteers for the field and lab assistance. N. Stokes sequenced the samples of the caligid ectoparasite for the genetic analysis, and P. Mason provided the SEM images. This study was funded by the Virginia Sea Grant/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NA07OAR4170047; projects R/CM-28, R/CF-09-01). FR gratefully acknowledges the financial support of “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (FCT – Portugal), through a postdoctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/46761/2008), from the Programa Operacional Potencial Humano/Fundo Social Europeu (POPH/FSE). This is contribution number 3474 of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Filipe Ribeiro, Eric J. Hilton & Ryan B. Carnegie

  2. MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    Filipe Ribeiro

Authors
  1. Filipe Ribeiro
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  2. Eric J. Hilton
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  3. Ryan B. Carnegie
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Correspondence to Filipe Ribeiro.

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Communicated by Wim J. Kimmerer

Appendix

Appendix

Table 3 GenBank accession numbers of sequences included in the phylogenetic analysis
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Ribeiro, F., Hilton, E.J. & Carnegie, R.B. High Prevalence and Potential Impacts of Caligid Ectoparasites on Larval Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) in the Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries and Coasts 39, 583–588 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0010-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0010-z

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