Abstract
A total of 182 specimens of two sturgeon species, stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus (N = 112) and Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus (N = 70), from three coastal stations in the South–East Caspian Sea were examined for endohelminth parasites. Four helminth species were recorded: Cucullanus sphaerocephala (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) and Skrjabinopsolus semiarmatus (Digenea: Acanthocolpidae), found in both host species, and Leptorhynchoides plagicephalus (Acanthocephala: Rhadinorhynchidae) and Amphilina foliacea (Cestodaria: Amphilinidae), found only in A. stellatus. The most abundant parasites were C. sphaerocephala and S. semiarmatus in A. persicus and A. stellatus, respectively. Canonical discriminant analysis was applied for separating host species using parasite numbers data, Brillouin index of diversity, and species richness. By this means, 83% of the hosts were assigned to their correct a priori groups. The different feeding habits and habitat preferences of the two hosts are probably the major factors accounting for the difference in their parasite burdens.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Austen DJ, Bayley PB, Menzel BW (1994) Importance of the guild concept to fisheries research and management. Fisheries (Bethesda) 19:12–20
Bauer ON, Pugachev ON, Voronin VN (2002) Study of parasites and diseases of sturgeons in Russia: a review. J Appl Ichthyol 18:420–424
Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM, Shostak AW (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. J Parasitol 83:575–583
Choudhury A, Dick TA (1998) Patterns and determinants of helminth communities in sturgeons (Chondrostei: Acipenseridae) with special reference to the lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens. Can J Zool 76:330–349
Dubinina MN (1982) Parasitic worms of class Amphilinidae (Platyhelminthes). Nauka, Leningrad, p 143 (in Russian)
Dumont HJ (1998) The Caspian Lake: history, biota, structure, and function. Limnol Oceanog 43:44–52
Ghoroghi A (1996) Identification of blood and intestinal parasites of A. persicus in Southern part of Caspian Sea. Iran J Fisheries Scien 1:35–39
Karpevich AF (1975) Theory and practice of acclimatization of aquatic organisms. Food Industry, Moscow, p 432 (in Russian)
Legeza MI (1972) Role of abiotic environmental factors in distribution of sturgeons (Fam. Acipenseridae, Pisces) in the Caspian Sea. Vopr Ichthyol (Problems of Ichthyology) 121:3–24
Malek M (2004) Parasites as discrimination keys in two sympatric species of gobies. Bull Eur Ass Fish Pathol 24:173–179
Malinovskaja LV, Filippov AA, Osadchikh VF, Aladin NV (1998) Benthic macroinvertebrates of the northern Caspian Sea during recent rises in water-level. Int J Salt Lake Res 7:211–233
Mokhayer B (1974) A check list on parasites of sturgeons (Acipenseridae) of Iran. Veterinary Letter 1:1–13
Moravec C (1994) Parasitic nematodes of fresh water fishes of Europe, and Dordrecht. Kluwer Academic, Prague, p 473
Rohde K (1993) Ecology of marine parasites, 2nd edn. CAB International, Bristol, p 298
Sattari M (1999) Study on internal helminthes parasites of sturgeons in the South Caspian Sea, Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Tehran.
Sattari M, Mokhayer B (2005) Occurrence and intensity of some parasites in five sturgeon species (Chondrostei: Acipenseridae) southwest of Caspian Sea. Sci Corresp 89:259–263
Schulman SS (1954) Survey of parasite fauna of the USSR sturgeons. Trans Leningr Soc Nat 72:190–255 (in Russian)
Skrjabina ES (1974) Helminths of sturgeons. Naukap Moscow 168 (in Russian)
Zenkevich L (1963) Biology of the seas of the USSR. George Allen and Unwin, London, p 955
Acknowledgements
Our thanks are due to Dr. Rostami from Fisheries Research Organization of Iran. We also would like to thank Research affairs of the University of Tehran for financial supports. The experiments comply with the current laws of the Islamic republic of Iran.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rajabpour, M., Malek, M., MacKenzie, K. et al. Helminth parasites of stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771 and Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus Borodin, 1897 (Pisces: Acipenseridae) from the South–East Caspian Sea. Parasitol Res 102, 1089–1091 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0922-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0922-7