Have chondracanthid copepods co-speciated with their teleost hosts?
Chondracanthid copepods parasites many teleost species and have a mobile larval stage. It has been suggested that copepod parasites, with free-living infective stages that infect hosts by attaching to their external surfaces, will have co-evolved with their hosts. We examined copepods from the genus Chondracanthus and their teleost hosts for evidence of a close co-evolutionary association by comparing host and parasite phylogenies using TreeMap analysis. In general, significant co-speciation was observed and instances of host switching were rare. The prevalence of intra-host speciation events was high relative to other such studies and may relate to the large geographical distances over which hosts are spread.
Paterson
A M
AM
Ecology and Entomology Group, Lincoln University, New Zealand.
Poulin
R
R
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003445:Crustacea / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D005399:Fishes / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010802:Phylogeny; D012623:Seawater; D013045:Species Specificity