Paratenic hosts as regular transmission route in the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis : potential implications for food webs

摘要: Although trophically transmitted parasites are recognized to strongly influence food-web dynamics through their ability manipulate host phenotype, our knowledge of spectrum is often imperfect. This particularly true for the facultative paratenic hosts, which receive little interest. We investigated occurrence and significance both in terms ecology evolution hosts life cycle fish acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis. freshwater parasite uses amphipods as intermediate cyprinids salmonids definitive hosts. Within a cohort larvae, usually reported amphipod more than 90% were actually hosted by small-sized fish. demonstrated experimentally, using one these fish, that they get infected consumption parasitized contribute parasite’s transmission host, hence confirming status. A better spectrums could help us understand fine tuning strategies, estimate biomass, improve perception subwebs host–parasite predator–parasite links.