Blood parasite biodiversity of reef-associated fishes of the eastern Caribbean

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Date
2015Author
Cook, Courtney A.
Sikkel, Paul C.
Renoux, Lance P.
Smit, Nico J.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Parasitic micro-organisms can influence
multiple ecological processes, from growth, mortality,
and behavior, to community structure and trophic
interactions, yet are typically ignored components of
marine biodiversity. We collected 1298 blood samples
from reef fishes off 6 eastern Caribbean islands, representing
27 families, 57 genera and 103 species, in -
cluding invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish. Members of
14 species from 8 families were infected, comprising
damselfishes (Pomacentridae), parrotfishes (Scaridae),
mullet (Mugilidae), jacks (Caranjidae), Blennies (Blen -
neidae and Labrisomidae), snappers (Lutjanidae), and
angelfishes (Pomacanthidae). None of the 8 distinct
blood parasites found fit descriptions of other Ca -
ribbean parasites, but resembled typical Haemo gre -
garina-like intraerythrocytic parasites and Haemohormidium-
like parasites collected from fishes on the
Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. No blood parasites
were found in lionfish and there was surprisingly little
overlap in the families of Caribbean and GBR fishes.
Most infected species were strongly diurnal. The high
incidence of infection in Stegastes damselfishes was
particularly surprising and has potentially important
ecological consequences, given that damselfishes influence
benthic community structure and are prey for
reef piscivores. Gnathiid isopods, an apparent vector
of apicomplexan blood parasites in other systems,
were common at sampling sites and collected for
use in transmission experiments. Haemogregarinalike
parasites were taken up by gnathiids that fed
on infected blennies. By comparison, when gnathiids
fed on Stegastes damselfish infected with a Hae mo -
hormidium-like parasite, no parasites were found.
This study reveals the high biodiversity of haemoparasites
infecting eastern Caribbean reef fishes, and
highlights the need for additional research throughout
the Caribbean and in other tropical reef systems.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/18732http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps11430
http://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m533p001.pdf