Low diversity of helminth parasites in Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus (Clupeidae) from the Bay of Biscay

• Published in: Marine and Freshwater Research
• Main Authors: Dessier, Aurélie, Dupuy, Christine, Trancart, Thomas, Audras, Alexandre, Bustamante, Paco, Gérard, Claudia
• Other Authors: LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution Rennes (ECOBIO), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement - CNRS Ecologie et Environnement (INEE-CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), This study was supported by a Ph.D. grant for A. Dessier from the Conseil Régional de Poitou-Charentes and by the European projectREPRODUCE (Era Net-Marifish, FP7)., ANR-10-ALIA-0004,Fish-Parasites,Parasites de poisson: identification du danger, impact et recherches en vue d'une stratégie efficace de prévention(2010), European Project: REPRODUCE
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: small pelagic fish; sardine; anchovy; helminth parasites; Ascaridoidea; low biodiversity; feeding ecology; [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01377895; https://hal.science/hal-01377895/document; https://hal.science/hal-01377895/file/Dessier%20et%20al%202015%20MFR.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1071/MF15147

International audience Parasitological data are increasingly used to provide information on host populations, trophic interactions and free-living biodiversity. Here, parasitic helminths have been researched in Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus from the Bay of Biscay (North-East Atlantic). In addition, a review of helminths infecting E. encrasicolus has been provided. Surprisingly, our field study reveals the occurrence of only three species of Ascaridoidea (Anisakis simplex sensu stricto, Anisakis pegreffi and Hysterothylacium aduncum) in both fish species despite the high diversity of helminth parasites (mostly heteroxenous trophically-transmitted) recorded throughout their distribution range, i.e. 39 and 15 taxa, respectively, for S. pilchardus and E. encrasicolus: among them, 12 shared taxa. This low diversity of helminth parasites in the Bay of Biscay may be indicative of a low free-living biodiversity. Moreover, similarities in the helminth parasites of S. pilchardus and E. encrasicolus, recorded both in our field study and in their entire geographical distribution, suggest ecological and feeding similarities between these two planktivorous fish. However, the higher prevalence and mean intensity of Ascaridoidea in E. encrasicolus (vs. S. pilchardus) in the Bay of Biscay also highlighted differences, which were considered the result of its higher trophic plasticity.