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The association between parasite infection and growth rates in Arctic charr: do fast growing fish have more parasites?

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Abstract

Trophically transmitted parasites are known to impair fish growth in experimental studies, but this is not well documented in natural populations. For Arctic charr [Salvelinus alpinus (L.)], individual growth is positively correlated with food consumption. However, increased food consumption will increase the exposure to trophically transmitted parasites. Using a correlative approach, we explore the association between parasite abundance and the individual growth of Arctic charr from five lakes within the same watercourse. The studied parasite species differ in their life cycles and cost to the host. We predicted a positive association between parasite abundance and fish growth for parasites of low pathogenicity reflecting high consumption rates, and a negative association at higher parasite abundances for more costly parasites. We found no direct negative associations between parasite abundance and fish growth. The relationship between parasite abundance and growth was linearly positive for the low costly Crepidostomum sp. and concave for the more costly Eubothrium salvelini. In natural fish populations, the negative effects of parasites on fish growth might be outweighed by the energy assimilated from feeding on the intermediate host. However, experimental studies with varying food consumption regimes are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying our observations.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following people for field sampling and/or laboratory work: P. A. Amundsen, M. S. Berg, C. Bye, L. Dalsbø, A. P. Eloranta, K. Ø. Gjelland, M. Gabler, B. S. Knudsen, R. Kristoffersen, J. A. Kuhn, K. Johannessen, and K. J. O’Connor. Two anonymous reviewers provided helpful and constructive comments.

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  1. Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Eirik H. Henriksen, John F. Strøm & Rune Knudsen

  2. Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Aslak Smalås

  3. The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway

    Rune Knudsen

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  1. Eirik H. Henriksen
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Correspondence to Eirik H. Henriksen.

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Guest editors: C. E. Adams, C. R. Bronte, M. J. Hansen, R. Knudsen & M. Power / Charr Biology, Ecology and Management

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Henriksen, E.H., Smalås, A., Strøm, J.F. et al. The association between parasite infection and growth rates in Arctic charr: do fast growing fish have more parasites?. Hydrobiologia 840, 261–270 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3865-8

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