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Effects of host injury on susceptibility of marine reef fishes to ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods

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The importance of the role that parasites play in ecological communities is becoming increasingly apparent. However much about their impact on hosts and thus populations and communities remains poorly understood. A common observation in wild populations is high variation in levels of parasite infestation among hosts. While high variation could be due to chance encounter, there is increasing evidence to suggest that such patterns are due to a combination of environmental, host, and parasite factors. In order to examine the role of host condition on parasite infection, rates of Gnathia marleyi infestation were compared between experimentally injured and uninjured fish hosts. Experimental injuries were similar to the minor wounds commonly observed in nature. The presence of the injury significantly increased the probability of infestation by gnathiids. However, the level of infestation (i.e., total number of gnathiid parasites) for individual hosts, appeared to be unaffected by the treatment. The results from this study indicate that injuries obtained by fish in nature may carry the additional cost of increased parasite burden along with the costs typically associated with physical injury. These results suggest that host condition may be an important factor in determining the likelihood of infestation by a common coral reef fish ectoparasite, G. marleyi.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank members of the Sikkel lab of Arkansas State University, the Benthic Ecology lab of the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, and the staff of the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) for logistical support and use of their facilities. We would also like to thank Anne Marie Coile, Ashley Elsishans King, and Whitney Sears for assisting with data collection. A portion of the fieldwork reported herein was supported by National Science Foundation grant OCE-121615, PC Sikkel, PI, and Puerto Rico Sea Grant R-31-1-4. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government. This is contribution # 185 from the University of the Virgin Islands Center for Marine and Environmental Studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences Program, Arkansas State University, State University, AR, USA

    William G. Jenkins & Paul C. Sikkel

  2. US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    William G. Jenkins & Amanda W. J. Demopoulos

  3. Water Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Paul C. Sikkel

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  1. William G. Jenkins
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  2. Amanda W. J. Demopoulos
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Correspondence to Paul C. Sikkel.

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W. Jenkins, P. Sikkel, and A. Demopoulos declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of Arkansas State University.

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Jenkins, W.G., Demopoulos, A.W.J. & Sikkel, P.C. Effects of host injury on susceptibility of marine reef fishes to ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods. Symbiosis 75, 113–121 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-017-0518-z

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