Natural infection of the calanoid crustacean Epischura baicalensis by procercoids of Proteocephalus sp. in Listvenichnyi Bay, Lake Baikal

• Published in: Journal of Helminthology
• Main Authors: Rusinek, O.T., Bakina, M.P., Nikolskii, A.V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1996
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; General Medicine; Parasitology; Bay Lake; Coregonus autumnalis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x00015479; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022149X00015479

Abstract Natural infection of the plankton Epischura baicalensis Sars (Calanoida: Temoridae) by procercoids of the genus Proteocephalus in Lake Baikal is analysed in detail. Over one year Epischura was infected by procercoids of proteocephalids at a prevalence of 0.13% (in Listvenichnyi Bay, South Baikal). Male E. baicalensis were infected more (0.39%). The number of procercoids of genus Proteocephalus was 2.7 specimens/m 3 . The largest number of procercoids was found in females (1.26), the least in the third copepodid stage (0.03 specimens/m 3 ). Because of the close ecological contacts between E. baicalensis and Coregonus autumnalis migratorius it is probable that E. baicalensis is infected by P. exiguus , the species usually found in C. a. migratorius (Zaika, 1965). The parasite lives for about 8 months in the winter-spring Epischura generation and about 10 months in the summer generation.