Contracaecum multipapillatum prevalence and intensity of infection in the introduced brook stickleback as a case study of biotic resistance
Faculty Mentor
Paul Spruell and Krisztian Magori
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 12:25 PM
End Date
10-5-2023 12:45 PM
Location
PUB 317
Department
Biology
Abstract
The enemy release hypothesis suggests success of invasive species in initial phases of invasion is due to their ability to escape from native predators and pathogens. However, according to the biotic resistance hypothesis, this success of non-native species is time-dependent due to native predators and pathogen’s ability to shift prey and hosts making use of introductions. Introduced species function as predators and resource competitors to native species. It is important to understand potential limiting factors of an individual’s success and how it relates to large-scale ecosystem impacts. The brook stickleback is a newly introduced species in eastern Washington that has high population densities. These fish are parasitized by Contracaecum multipapillatum, a nematode in the Anisakidae family that has a complex life cycle targeting various species, including copepods, fish, piscivorous birds, and mammals. This study aims to calculate both prevalence and intensity of infection of C. multipapillatum by measuring the average number of nematodes found in Brook Stickleback. We collected fish at Middle Pine Lake within Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in October 2017, 2019, and 2022. We performed fish necroscopy to identify nematode presence and quantity per host. The prevalence of infection of C. multipapillatum was significantly higher at 40% in 2019 versus 15% in 2017 and 2022. Intensity of infection was not different between years. This analysis demonstrates interannual variability in prevalence of C. multipapillatum infection in brook stickleback. Investigation into dynamics of this system provides insight into interspecific relationships and biotic resistance, providing a case study for this hypothesis.
Recommended Citation
Flores, Sarah, "Contracaecum multipapillatum prevalence and intensity of infection in the introduced brook stickleback as a case study of biotic resistance" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 7.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os1_2023/7
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Contracaecum multipapillatum prevalence and intensity of infection in the introduced brook stickleback as a case study of biotic resistance
PUB 317
The enemy release hypothesis suggests success of invasive species in initial phases of invasion is due to their ability to escape from native predators and pathogens. However, according to the biotic resistance hypothesis, this success of non-native species is time-dependent due to native predators and pathogen’s ability to shift prey and hosts making use of introductions. Introduced species function as predators and resource competitors to native species. It is important to understand potential limiting factors of an individual’s success and how it relates to large-scale ecosystem impacts. The brook stickleback is a newly introduced species in eastern Washington that has high population densities. These fish are parasitized by Contracaecum multipapillatum, a nematode in the Anisakidae family that has a complex life cycle targeting various species, including copepods, fish, piscivorous birds, and mammals. This study aims to calculate both prevalence and intensity of infection of C. multipapillatum by measuring the average number of nematodes found in Brook Stickleback. We collected fish at Middle Pine Lake within Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in October 2017, 2019, and 2022. We performed fish necroscopy to identify nematode presence and quantity per host. The prevalence of infection of C. multipapillatum was significantly higher at 40% in 2019 versus 15% in 2017 and 2022. Intensity of infection was not different between years. This analysis demonstrates interannual variability in prevalence of C. multipapillatum infection in brook stickleback. Investigation into dynamics of this system provides insight into interspecific relationships and biotic resistance, providing a case study for this hypothesis.
