INVESTIGADORES
MERLO Matias Javier
artículos
Título:
The role of the invasive polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) (Serpulidae) as facilitator of parasite transmission in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Autor/es:
ETCHEGOIN, J. A.; MERLO, M.J.; PARIETTI, M.
Revista:
PARASITOLOGY
Editorial:
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
Referencias:
Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2012 p. 1506 - 1512
ISSN:
0031-1820
Resumen:
In Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Argentina), the reefs of the invasive polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Serpulidae) serve
as concentration areas for invertebrates and vertebrates and as potential foci of parasite transmission (mainly digeneans). To
analyse the role of F. enigmaticus as facilitator of parasite transmission, and to evaluate the influence of the habitats selected
by 2 species of cochliopid snails (Heleobia conexa and Heleobia australis), on the richness and on the prevalence of the
digenean assemblages that parasitize them, 1945 snails were collected from 2 sampling sites. The comparisons between
larval digenean communities parasitizing both snail hosts revealed significant differences related to the overall prevalence
and the prevalence contributed by birds in the snails collected from reefs. These results support the idea that the reefs may
increase the number of links between intermediate and definitive hosts of digeneans, facilitating parasite transmission only
when the aggregates of F. enigmaticus become the unique habitat of the snail host. This first report of an exotic species acting
as facilitator of parasite transmission in an estuarine area highlights the importance of analysing the effects of the assimilation
process of exotic species by recently colonized environments (including the possible effects on parasite transmission).